On Monday, May 15, 2023, Hope the Mission, an organization aimed at helping people experiencing homelessness, held an opening ceremony for their homeless shelter, The Woodlands Family Shelter, across the street from Taft Charter High School in Woodland Hills.

Hope the Mission is an organization that builds shelters for homeless people. They orchestrated the construction of the homeless shelter. They provide services to prevent, reduce, and eliminate hunger, poverty, and homelessness. They offer immediate assistance as well as long-term solutions.

The Woodlands Family Shelter is a shelter that provides housing for homeless families. It will function as a shelter for homeless families and protect them from the weather, health, and diseases. The shelter also provides supportive services.

The Woodlands Family Shelter is located at 20157 Ventura Boulevard, Woodland Hills, 91364. It is across the street from Taft Charter High School. It was previously a motel known as the 818 Motel. However, the motel shut down and became a shelter for up to 100 homeless families.

The Woodlands Family Shelter opened on Monday, May 15, 2023. The site was one of 19 locations chosen in 2021 to provide permanent housing for homeless families.

According to Hope the Mission, as part of the Homekey 2.0 initiative of the California State Housing Community Development Department, the county and Hope the Mission purchased the Woodlands Family Shelter. They want to decrease the homeless population in California and provide dignity and hope to families suffering from homelessness.

The homeless shelter location was met with some pushback due to the fact that it is directly across the street from Taft Charter High School. Still, the hotel was purchased, renovated, and opened to house families in need. The concern of the local community was that it would create a nuisance. It also raises concern for the Taft community because many are worried about their safety and believe that there won’t be 24-hour security. They believe that homeless people living in a school neighborhood would increase crime rates and drug use among students.

However, The Woodlands Family Shelter said there would be 24-hour security and prohibit residents from taking drugs, drinking alcohol, and carrying weapons.

Now that the shelter is open– time will tell if the neighborhood’s concerns are valid.