L.A. County considers converting North Hollywood commercial building to interim housing

Los Angeles County is exploring the possibility of converting a 1950s commercial building in North Hollywood into interim housing serving transgender and nonbinary persons experiencing homelessness.

According to a staff report, scheduled for consideration at the November 7 meeting of the Board of Supervisors, the owner of the two-story building at 12135 Victory Boulevard has expressed interest in selling the property to the County, which would in turn partner with LA Family Housing to operate 30 beds of interim housing within the building.

Prior to completing an acquisition, the County is required to conduct due diligence and negotiate a potential purchase price. The County has allocated nearly $4.2 million in American Rescue Plan funds toward the project - including a potential purchase price and roughly $290,000 for any required rehabilitation of the building.

12135 Victory BoulevardGoogle Maps

The North Hollywood project is the second attempt by the County to open a facility of this type in the San Fernando Valley. Previous negotiations to acquire a building at 14303 Sylvan Street in Van Nuys fell through, according to a staff report.

The new facility would be the first transgender and non-binary-specific facility within the L.A. County Department of Public Health's Service Planning Area 2, which consists of the San Fernando Valley and areas in the northwest corner of the County.

According to the staff report, LGBTQ+ persons are overrepresented among younger adults and youth experiencing homelessness, due in part to family rejection and discrimination. Non-binary and transgender persons have a particularly difficult time in seeking out services.

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