our programs

Our programs offer a continuum of services that meet the unique needs of vulnerable individuals and families in the San Gabriel Valley. As we confront the ongoing pandemic and the homeless crisis, we are working diligently to meet the wide-ranging housing, health, and hunger needs of our community. Our approach has four core pillars of services: Outreach, Interim Housing, Permanent Housing, and Community Integration

Four Core Pillars of Service:

OUTREACH, INTAKE & ASSESSMENT

Union Station coordinates homeless services across the San Gabriel Valley (SPA 3). Along with more than 130 local partners, we provide street outreach; intake and assessment; connection to services; care coordination; and housing navigation, housing placement, and retention assistance.

INTERIM HOUSING

The drivers of homelessness are as varied as the needs of the individual. For many, the first step on their path to permanent housing is interim housing. We offer a variety of interim housing options in Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley with wraparound services to support people while they rebuild their lives and find stability. Our residents have access to everything they need to help them rebuild their lives. 

Permanent Housing

Our Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) programs provide safe, affordable, and private apartments, as well as on-site support services for long-term stability. Residents in all permanent supportive housing locations pay 30% of their income to the property manager as a condition of their housing voucher.

community integration

One of the major ways Union Station Homeless Services helps individuals end their homelessness and rebuild their lives is by offering wrap-around services, including community integration with Community Allies and employment assistance through Sources Career Development.

Our 36 Service Areas in Los Angeles:

Outreach, Intake, and Assessment

Union Station coordinates homeless services across the San Gabriel Valley (SPA 3). Along with more than 130 local partners, we provide street outreach; intake and assessment; connection to services; care coordination; and housing navigation, housing placement, and retention assistance. We also provide homeless prevention services for families and individuals at imminent risk for homelessness.

Coordinated Entry Systems

Once we connect with people living outdoors, we work to make the systems as accessible as possible to those who are in crisis and experiencing complex challenges and barriers to housing. As the designated lead agency for the region’s Adult Coordinated Entry System (CES), we connect the most vulnerable people first to safe and affordable supportive housing.

The Family Coordinated Entry System (CES-F) is the primary point of entry for families seeking services who are experiencing homelessness or at imminent risk of becoming unhoused. We have specially trained staff to work with families with offices in Irwindale, Pasadena, and Pomona.

Additionally, our Hospital Liaison and three Patient Navigators work with those who are frequent users of the hospital system to provide case management and housing referrals. In the City of Pasadena, we are the team liaison for the Pasadena Police Department HOPE (Homeless Outreach Psychiatric Evaluation) Team and our staff are embedded within the Pasadena Fire and Public Health Department’s PORT (Pasadena Outreach Response Team).

Multi Disciplinary Teams

Our Multi Disciplinary Teams conduct outreach in the community to engage with unhoused community members in streets, parks, around public transportation, and other outdoor spaces. To best address the needs of these highly vulnerable community members, these teams include substance use specialists, mental health clinicians, and peer specialists who have lived experience.

Enhancing the work of our Multi Disciplinary Teams, we partner with the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine Street Medicine Team, who provide medical expertise, assessments, testing, and primary healthcare services for individuals on the street.

Interim Housing

The drivers of homelessness are as varied as the needs of the individual. For many, the first step on their path to permanent housing is interim housing. We offer a variety of interim housing options with wraparound services to support people while they rebuild their lives and find stability.

Adult Center

The Adult Center, our oldest existing program, was built in 1989 in Pasadena. It has 56 beds and separate men’s and women’s dormitories. In the past we have offered a wide variety of supportive services to both residents and day patrons, including our Community Meals and Showers Programs, on-site primary health care, and emergency overnight shelter. We have temporarily reduced bed counts during COVID and are utilizing motel rooms to ensure uninterrupted service to those in need. We have paused our showers and meals programs for non-residents during the pandemic.

Family Center

The Family Center is a nurturing, home-like environment that offers sanctuary for approximately 200 homeless children and parents in a typical year. Families receive safe and secure housing, three nutritious meals per day, care coordination services, and wraparound supports such as parenting classes, budgeting, and financial literacy.

Project Homekey

Project Homekey is the State of California’s COVID-19 response to protecting Californians experiencing homelessness who are at high risk for serious illness. Project Homekey hotels are purchased by a combination of federal and state funds. These hotels will serve as interim housing for three years, after which they will be turned into permanent supportive housing. We opened two Project Homekey hotels in El Sereno in March 2021. Almost 100 people moved from the local encampments into Casa Luna and the Huntington Villas.

permanent Housing

Our permanent housing programs provide safe, affordable, and private apartments, as well as on-site support services for long-term stability. Residents in all permanent supportive housing locations pay 30% of their income to the property manager as a condition of their housing voucher.

Some of our families and individuals only need short-term assistance. We use an innovative rapid rehousing approach to help locate and retain housing as well as provide temporary rental support, if needed. Based on their needs, clients are enrolled on either the Family Solutions Program, the Rapid Rehousing Program, or the Recovery Rehousing Program, a COVID-19 Recovery Plan.

For clients who would benefit from a more long-term approach, we offer on-site supportive services and care coordination to aid in retaining their permanent housing. We offer services at our facilities, including intensive case management, referrals, and benefits advocacy.

Euclid Villa is a 14-unit apartment building where families have private units with kitchens.

Centennial Place offers 142 single-room occupancy apartments for very low income adults.

Marv’s Place provides 19 units of affordable housing for formerly homeless families.

Our scattered-site housing programs link individuals with housing vouchers and services throughout the communities of the San Gabriel Valley:

Housing for Health
provides on-site specialized care services to chronically homeless adults with complex health issues.

Holly Street Housing
links chronically homeless adults and families with community housing resources.

Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA) Program
provides permanent supportive housing along with wraparound services at scattered-site locations in San Gabriel Valley.

Career Assistance & Community Reintegration

SOURCES Career Development

SOURCES Career Development has helped people overcome poverty and homelessness by connecting them to meaningful employment.

We offer a multidisciplinary approach for our clients, as well as low income and unhoused job seekers referred by our partner agencies. We assist with all aspects of a job search, from how to effectively use the internet to resume writing and interview techniques. As part of the SOURCES Career Development Job Club, a Job Developer creates customized career plans for each individual. Services include everything from career counseling to assistance with short-term training, ID cards, and clothing, shoes, uniforms, and tools.

SOURCES is helping to achieve community, social, and economic growth through rebuilding our community, one hire at a time.

 

Community Allies

The purpose of our Community Allies Program is to support our neighbors as they transition into housing. The program fosters one-on-one relationships and fun social networks to combat isolation and to support wellness and housing stability. This year, despite the unique challenges presented by the pandemic, Community Allies continued to change lives. Our programs have kept residents in our supportive housing programs connected in small in-person groups and virtually. Activities included book club, picnics in the park, yoga, and more.

Continuing Wellness Activities

Thanks to our volunteers and community partners, we are able to offer various Wellness and Enrichment Activities for individuals and families, including monthly birthday celebrations, game nights, art therapy, nutrition classes, budgeting, yoga, and much more to build inclusive and healthy communities.