The Whole Child Family Housing Program

Family Homelessness increased by 13% in the Greater Los Angeles Area in the past year.1

We help families who are homeless, or on the brink of homelessness, chart a path out of their current situation into permanent housing.

The Whole Child Family Housing Program considers a person homeless if they are sleeping outside, in a place not meant for human habitation such as a car or abandoned building, or in an emergency shelter or transitional housing program. As the lead housing agency in SPA 7 Southeast Los Angeles Country for the Coordinated Entry System, all families with children in the region experiencing homelessness filter through The Whole Child.

Click Here for the FSC Referral Form.

Our Impact

We help families who are homeless, or on the brink of homelessness, chart a path out of their current situation into permanent housing.

1502+

families served

209

families housed

99%

permanency rate

720

families diverted/prevented from homelessness

Our Services

We work with our clients to uncover short term interventions to avoid homelessness. In this strength-based approach, we review each family's strengths and barriers to identify possible solution to prevent homelessness. This could include mediation with family, friends or a current landlord to help resolve a dispute in order to maintain housing.

Interim Housing immediately ends unsheltered homelessness by placing families in specialized family shelters, including our recently opened Safe Families Interim Shelter. The opening of Safe Families, marks The Whole Child’s entry into the field of housing development. Safe Families provides 44 units/102 new beds into Los Angeles County’s Coordinate Entry System (CES) for families experience homelessness. Through-out the fiscal year of 2019-2020, Safe Families housed 80 families. By reducing exposure to trauma in children experiencing homelessness by placing them in a safe home environment, we aim to combat generational homelessness.

We provide housing and navigation, Rapid Rehousing, and Permanent Supportive Housing designed to end unsheltered and sheltered homelessness and create a stabilization plan for each family's long-term success.

Supportive Services are designed to help families facing homelessness reduce or eliminate barriers to permanent housing. We offer case management, employment and job placement, access to child care, money management, life skills training and long-term family mentoring (Imagine Whittier) by trained volunteer mentors. In addition, we offer inter-agency services including mental health, parent enrichment and nutrition education.

Imagine Whittier seeks to end the cycle of family homelessness and poverty by mobilizing trained volunteer mentors, public and private resources, and community leaders who understand that a roof over one’s head is merely the starting point to a better life. This innovative mentorship program empowers families to transition from homelessness to self-sufficiency and helps every member of the family thrive.

This program is made possible by the generosity of Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn's Office, representing the Fourth District, the BCM Foundation and other community partners.

Families are referred to Imagine Whittier by The Whole Child Family Housing Program once the family has been housed. Participation in the program is optional.

Find out more about Imagine Whittier here.

We ensure appropriate linkages are provided to families in need of the following services; in house resources available include: Department of Public Social Services/GAIN Welfare to Work Program, Department of Mental Health, Department of Public Health, McKinney Vento liason and low income childcare referrals, as well as external resources such as legal services, education and vocational training, and other community based resources to help them reach their goals.

A program to reunite children in the child welfare/foster care system with their parents where the only remaining barrier to reunification is lack of permanent housing. Participation of this program is approval through the court system. We have reunified 51 children with their parents this past year.

We continue to invest in bringing interim and permanent affordable housing solutions to Los Angeles County by the recent opening of our Safe Families Interim Housing Facility in Echo Park and our upcoming ground-breaking of a new capital project in the City of Santa Fe Springs.

Grand Opening of Our First Family Interim Housing Shelter, Safe Families

The Whole Child celebrated the opening of its Safe Families Interim Housing Facility in Echo Park, marking the organization’s entry into the field of housing development. Safe Families provides 44 units/102 new beds into Los Angeles County’s Coordinate Entry System (CES) for Families experiencing homelessness. Resident families receive an array of interdisciplinary services designed to provide a strong start on their journey back to permanent housing, including the agencies own mental health, parent enrichment and nutrition education services. The facility provides a safe place for children and their families to heal and find stability needed to be successful long term. The Whole Child would like to thank Supervisor Hilda Solis and the Los Angeles Housing Services Authority (LAHSA) for providing the funding to bring this program to life and ensure its success.

Our Client Needs Breakdown

Family housing assistance programs LA

Hear From Our Clients

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Faces on the Journey Home: Danielle

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Safe Families Interim Housing Program

Jenny, Family Housing Client

Our Stories Matter

After nearly losing my baby at 17 weeks pregnant due to work-related stress, I decided to leave my job. My boyfriend was our only source of income and he could not make ends meet. Our cars were repossessed and without a car to commute, he lost his job soon after.

We were a family of 6 with the youngest being a newborn and we were homeless. My biggest fear was my children being taken away because everything happened in a blink of an eye. Being homeless made me feel as if I had failed my children. We were referred to The Whole Child and they were able to help us with housing, deposit money, furniture and home essentials. We knew our time on the program would be limited and we wanted to be independent enough to be able to buy a home when the time came. After my boyfriend was hired at his dream job, we researched what steps to take to purchase a home. With hard work, we were able to save towards a down payment. We started the home buying process and moved into our new home in June 2020. We achieved our first big goal of buying our forever home. I am able to stay home and take care of my children. We became debt free and are now able to buy what is needed while still having money to spend on extra things for the kids.

My experience with The Whole Child has been the best one ever. The Whole Child took us in when everyone else turned us away. My prayers were answered.

— Jenny, Family Housing Client

We can do more with your help!

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Client Eligibility

Call us at (562) 204-0640 (hyperlink to make call if accessing website on phone) to schedule an appointment to speak with one of our bi-lingual (English/Spanish) Intake Specialists.
Please note that an intake process that takes place over the phone to determine eligibility. We will return messages within 72 hours (three business days).
We connect families to appropriate resources based on eligibility that may require additional criteria for the family to meet. Please bring the following to your first appointment:

  • Valid photo identification (CA ID, CA Driver’s License, or U.S. Passport)
  • Proof of Income
  • Proof of Homelessness (Eviction Notice, DPSS Motel Assistance, etc.)
  • Birth Certificate
  • Social Security Card

Homeless families seeking help can also call 211 LA County, the county information and referral line where families are directed to the appropriate Coordinated Entry System (CES) where each situation is assessed.

Funding Partners

LA countyLA county family housing optionsLA county family housingLa Mirada family housingNorwalk family housing programWhittier family housing program

About 211 LA County

211 LA County is Los Angeles County’s information and referral service, offering confidential services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in English, Spanish and over 140 more languages. Services are also available to individuals with hearing impairments.
If this is a medical emergency or you are in need of immediate crisis support, please contact 911 or a crisis hotline in your area.

We are grateful to The Everychild Foundation for investing in this program in its early stages. Their gift enabled The Whole Child to not only serve homeless families in need but also build the infrastructure that allowed us to seek further funding. The legacy of their contribution forever expands our impact on the community.

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