Skid Row Housing Trust

The Skid Row Housing Trust develops, manages and operates homes for the homeless of Los Angeles. Its permanent supportive housing also provides a complete range of support services to help clients to move beyond poverty, illness and addiction.

At the heart of the Trust's work is a deep commitment to the people and communities it serves. The organization ensures that its residents thrive in community and that its work builds better neighborhoods for all.

The creativity of the Skid Row Housing Trust has made it the go-to organization for innovative new projects such as the Hilton Prioritization Project, Los Angeles County’s Project 50 program, the Mental Health Services Act Innovations Plan Integrated Mobile Health Team Program, and the Star Apartments - the first pre-fabricated multi-family development in Los Angeles.  

Innovation is the medium through which the Trust explores every opportunity. Innovation in design drives beautiful structures that promote healing and community integration. Innovation in development and asset management creates new opportunities for financial sustainability and fiscal health. Innovation in service delivery creates partnerships and models for better health. Whether pioneering third-party sales of passive losses or designing better programs, the Trust is always at the leading edge of the affordable housing and permanent supportive industries.  

The Trust operates on the 'Housing First' model. This approach means that homeless men and women applying for a home with the Trust do not need to go through a 'program' before they can move into a Trust building. They do not need to prove sobriety from drugs/alcohol before they move in. They do not need to address psychiatric concerns. The belief is that once people have a home - a roof over their head, they can then begin to build a sense of personal security again. Once that happens, they are better equipped to begin the process of tackling the obstacles that contributed to their homelessness in the first place. 'Harm reduction' practices are encouraged and education is available in all of the buildings.

Currently, the Trust has nearly 1,700 residential apartments in operation. It employs a data management and analysis team that collects, manages and reports on data and outcomes related to how its housing and services work. The Trust utilizes HUD-approved Homeless Management Information Systems and it reports HUD Standardized Performance Measures for all of its subsidized programs on a quarterly or annual basis.  

Selected Awards:
Secretary's Award
AIA/HUD, 2011

Door Knocker Award
HUD Home Program, 2011

Unsung Hero
California Community Foundation, 2011