SHERMAN OAKS—The plan for a potential homeless shelter at 5161 Sepulveda Boulevard has been cancelled as of Friday, March 1. After months of communications and attempted negotiations with the U.S. Army, who owns and manages the land, plans have been abandoned.
The Army Reserve refuses to give building access for the land to the city. The plan, which was initially proposed in August 2018 was part of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s bridge housing initiative. In a letter released by Los Anglees City Councilman David Ryu on MArch 1, he wrote, “The Army Reserves lack of response to both the City of Los Angeles as well as Senator Dianna Feinstein’s office is evidence of their unwillingness to help local partners take on serious issues.”
According to the U.S. Army, despite engaging in talks to have a preliminary assessment of the site, the plan was not continued due to Anti-Terrorism Force Protection standards.
This is the second attempt by Councilman Ryu to establish a homeless housing initiative in Sherman Oaks, where the site for the proposed housing project was located at 15314 Dickens Street.
A central concern for Ryu was finding housing for seniors who are homeless. He writes, “While homelessness in L.A. County went down slightly last year, it surged by 22% for people 62 years and older.”
The non-profit low income housing organization Mercy Housing is slated to develop the project as 14534-14536 Burbank Boulevard in Sherman Oaks. Mercy has applied for $12 million in Proposition HHH funding to develop the land. The project is still in the initial stages. To learn more about the Mercy Housing project visit http://courb.co/bblvd.
