Los Angeles City Councilwoman Ysabel Jurado launched a homeless outreach team Thursday for constituents in the 14th Council District encompassing portions of downtown and northeast Los Angeles.
The group is called the Leading Outreach with Valued Engagement, or LOVE, team, in partnership with Urban Alchemy. The initiative is being funded through discretionary dollars from Jurado’s office.
Jurado billed the group as a way to “expand CD 14’s capacity for proactive, relationship-based outreach rooted in dignity, equity and care.”
“Compassionate, people-centered outreach means meeting individual cases, not a `one size fits all’ strategy,” Jurado said in a statement Thursday. “The LOVE Team does not wait for a crisis call. They show up every day in our streets and public spaces, building relationships grounded in trust, respect, and dignity.”
The team is expected to conduct daily proactive outreach throughout El Sereno, Lincoln Heights, Boyle Heights, Eagle Rock, Highland Park and downtown. Members of the group will provide crisis intervention, connect unhoused individuals with health services, housing placements and other supportive programs, as well as distribute essentials such as hygiene kits, food, tents and Narcan.
Jurado emphasized the goal is to build trust over time, and ensure that homeless individuals are placed into permanent housing.
Tim Kornegay, Urban Alchemy’s director of operations in Los Angeles, said the goal is to “create cleaner, safer streets, and a community where everyone feels seen, respected and valued.”
Maria Jimenez-Torres, executive director of Plaza de la Raza, hailed the initiative, adding that her organization welcomes efforts to heal neighborhoods using methods “rooted in love and respect.”
“Plaza de la Raza has been a long-time steward of our beloved cultural center in Lincoln Park and remains committed to addressing ongoing safety concerns impacting Lincoln Park and the Lincoln Heights community,” Jimenez-Torres said in a statement. “We remain firmly committed to efforts ensuring that our park and surrounding neighborhoods are safe and welcoming spaces for all.”