A long-anticipated women’s homeless shelter at the U.S. National Guard armory in Sylmar could begin construction soon, with a $2.99 million purchase deal set to go through at the end of the month.
The temporary housing facility also now has a name: The Arroyo.
The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority is purchasing the 5.1-acre armory property, at 12860 Arroyo St., along with the 11.369-square-foot building at the site, to convert it into a temporary housing facility with 84 beds in the northeast San Fernando Valley.
There were 2,171 homeless women counted in the latest census in January, 1,434 of whom lacked shelter.
The armory has operated in the past as a winter shelter that provided a cot at night to those who would otherwise be sleeping on the streets.
The process to begin turning the facility into a transitional housing facility, with 24-hour beds available year-round, began in 2017, with the approval of the project by the County Board of Supervisors.
The contract for operating and converting the armory into a bridge housing site was awarded to LA Family Housing, which already operates the Valley’s largest temporary housing site on Lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood.
Andrea Johnson, a spokeswoman for LA Family Housing, said the project will cost up to $7.5 million to renovate, with construction expected to last 10 months.
The construction will include the addition of a kitchen, dining hall and laundry room, as well as a community garden and fitness area. The roof will also need to be replaced and reinforced, along with other renovations on the interior, Johnson said.
Kelsey Madigan, the director of interim housing, said the project will follow a model that offers “on-site” services provided by resident advocates, mental health workers and housing navigators.
Madigan said the facility will have a “low-barrier,” which means that in order to be eligible for a bed there, the women would only need to be experiencing homelessness.
The renovation costs is funded by Measure H dollars, while the operating costs will be covered by $3.7 million in state homeless emergency funds that was awarded to the city of Los Angeles. County officials have set the annual operations costs at $1.9 million.
