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27 Feb, 2021

Empty Los Angeles Hotels Converting Rooms into Homes for the Homeless

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — The Hotel Association of Los Angeles (HALA) announced today the launch of “Hotels for Homes,” a renewed effort to survey hotel owners to determine partners for the City and County of Los Angeles to provide safe shelter for those in need.

This is a continuation of the LA hotel community’s on-going partnership with the City and County after successfully contracting with 40 hotel and motel properties to house more than 7,000 people as part of Project Roomkey since March 2020. Hotels throughout Los Angeles County are expected to respond to the survey to participate in City and County sheltering programs for members of our community experiencing homelessness. 

“Our hotels continue to respond to the needs of the Los Angeles community,” said Heather Rozman, Executive Director of HALA. “As state and federal government funding now is available to obtain rooms and the public services necessary for sheltering programs, hotels and motels remain willing partners. This presents a unique opportunity for Los Angeles leaders to work with hoteliers to support programs aimed at providing a pathway toward permanent housing.”

As such, HALA has re-launched a “Hotels for Homes” program to reach out again to greater LA hotels and motels for participation in government shelter programs, updating its list of properties to contract with local governments to open even more doors to members of the community experiencing homelessness.

“A hotel’s core function is to provide shelter in a caring and generous way,” Rozman added. “Hotels are more than just a place to stay, they contribute to the local economy by generating hundreds of millions of local tax dollars and hundreds of thousands of jobs. LA’s hotels offer a safe place for wildfire evacuees, participate in meal delivery programs during the pandemic, and provide bedding, towels and toiletries for bridge housing sites. LA hotels have been, and always will be, committed to serving their communities.”

About the Hotel Association of Los Angeles

The Hotel Association of Los Angeles has advocated for the Los Angeles lodging industry for more than 70 years through legislative support, coalition building, lobbying and public advocacy. Its members represent a cross-section of the lodging industry, including owners, managers, suppliers and vendors.