Los Angeles County's Housing for Health and LAHSA Announce the Opening of The Oasis, the First Recuperative Care Facility Specifically for Women

LOS ANGELES, March 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Housing for Health, a division of the Los Angeles Department of Health Services, and the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) join Wesley Health Centers (JWCH) to announce the opening of The Oasis, a new 40-bed interim housing recuperative care facility in the heart of Skid Row. The new facility, a joint effort by the County of Los Angeles and the City of Los Angeles, provides services to women who have been homeless, are experiencing physical and mental health challenges, and were recently discharged from in-patient hospitals.

"Recuperative care is an important piece of our homeless rehousing system, providing the appropriate setting for unhoused individuals to recover after illness or injury," said Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis, First District. "I am glad that The Oasis will be a site with specialized care for unhoused women, who need safety and security to recover from past trauma. The County is committed to investing in more resources like the Oasis, that help our most vulnerable residents."

Los Angeles Council member Kevin de León added, "Trauma and violence are all too often the deep wounds that last a lifetime and contribute to much of what we see in the shattered lives of unhoused Angelenos, but especially women who have been victimized. That's why it's so critical to have a recuperative care facility like The Oasis to be a bridge to keep individuals on the road to recovery and on a path toward permanent housing. The City of Los Angeles will continue to work with our partners at the County to expand these types of resources so that we can properly care for those who need it most."

Recuperative care has become a highly effective tool to address homelessness in Los Angeles County. These facilities provide on-site medical monitoring, mental health and substance use counseling, client education, and case management services for highly vulnerable individuals who may be newly released from hospitals or other clinical settings. The 40 new beds at The Oasis bring Housing for Health's recuperative care bed count to 714, with another 136 coming soon. This is the first facility specifically for women.

"Unhoused women experience sexual assaults, histories of trauma or violent crimes at an exceedingly high rate, and they're also incredibly vulnerable to severe illness and injury," said Elizabeth Boyce, senior director of programs for Housing for Health. "After being hospitalized due to an illness, injury, or other event, we know their chances of recovery are slim if they are not discharged to an interim housing opportunity that provides intensive and supportive services. They're likely to end up back in the ER and then the cycle starts over again. The Oasis stops this cycle and provides a nurturing and cost-effective way for women to recover while they are connected to permanent housing opportunities." 

These 40 new beds are expected to serve approximately 120 women in the coming year, with an average stay of four months for each woman. The newly renovated main building, which sat empty for years, includes an intake lobby, clinical exam space, counseling offices for individuals and groups, sleeping and restroom areas, administration and service provider offices, nurse stations, a kitchen with dining, and community spaces for the residents. New construction brought the addition of a pavilion for clinical and mental health services, an exterior courtyard, with landscaping, bike parking and shade areas for outdoor recreation and program activities.

"Recuperative care is a critical component of the health care delivery system for people experiencing homelessness and illustrates the important intersection of medical care, behavioral health and housing support," said Al Ballesteros, president and CEO of JWCH Institute. "Program participants are able to heal in a safe and supportive environment from an illness or injury which otherwise would be exacerbated on the streets. Recuperative care and this center are lifesavers for our county's most vulnerable homeless populations." 

Funding for the renovation and construction was coordinated by Housing for Health's Capital Improvement Intermediary Program (CIIP) with nonprofit partner Brilliant Corners, and in collaboration with JWCH, which now serves as the onsite service provider. Ongoing operations are funded by the City of Los Angeles through LAHSA and Los Angeles County through Measure H. The facility was designed by Egan Simon Architects and constructed by Ruiz Brothers Construction Co., Inc.

SOURCE Los Angeles County Housing for Health