Los Angeles County officials broke ground Wednesday on a 13,000-square-foot facility across from Men’s Central Jail in downtown Los Angeles that will provide short-term housing and other services to people leaving county custody.
The three-level Warm Landing Place facility at 955 N. Vignes St. will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week and offer voluntary services including housing assistance, behavioral health resources, health screenings and counseling, according to the county Justice, Care and Opportunities Department.
When completed, the facility will be the county’s first dedicated post-release navigation center specifically designed to assist people leaving incarceration, according to JCOD.
“Re-entry begins the moment someone walks out the doors of a jail,” county Board of Supervisors Chair Hilda Solis said.
“We must put care first and make sure people leaving custody have a clear path forward. That is why I have worked to advance the Warm Landing Place program, connecting people to housing, health care, behavioral health services and other critical resources at a pivotal moment in their transition. Today’s groundbreaking is an important step toward making that commitment a permanent reality.”
The facility will expand the county’s Warm Landing Place program, which began in June 2024 to meet people immediately after their release from county custody at the downtown Los Angeles jail complex.
The program connects participants with services addressing immediate needs, including interim housing, transportation, food, water, hygiene supplies, behavioral health support, substance-use referrals and employment resources.
More than 12,000 people returning to the community from county custody have been assisted by the program since its launch, according to JCOD.
The program has also established a service trailer adjacent to the Inmate Reception Center and a nearby 29-bed short-term transitional housing site offering supportive services.
“Warm Landing Place was created around a simple principle: People returning to the community should be met with resources, dignity and support from the moment they are released. This is how we reduce recidivism and keep our communities safe,” JCOD Director Judge Songhai Armstead (Ret.) said. “We started by meeting people at the point of release and have continued expanding the services and support available to them. This new facility gives us a permanent, purpose-built space to expand that work and help more people build a foundation for long-term stability.”
Sheriff Robert Luna said his department was partnering with JCOD on the program.
“The Sheriff’s Department is proud to partner with JCOD in providing individuals with the resources and support their need for a successful transition back into our communities. By working together to create pathways to stability and opportunity, we can help reduce recidivism, strengthen our communities and enhance public safety,” Luna said.
The Board of Supervisors approved the acquisition of the Vignes Street property in May 2024. In March, the board established the Warm Landing Place facility as a capital project and authorized the county Department of Public Works to proceed with design and preconstruction.
The project calls for demolition of an existing single-story structure and construction of the new facility.
“LA County is breaking new ground, not only on a single project, but in the way we build for justice-involved individuals,” Los Angeles County Public Works Director Mark Pestrella said. “Together, we are using trauma-informed design and an innovative Design-Build delivery to create a safe, restorative environment for some of the County’s most vulnerable residents —turning thoughtful engineering into dignity, support and a pathway to long-term stability.”
JCOD was selected earlier this year to receive a conditional state grant of more than $8.5 million from the California Department of Health Care Services through the Bond Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program. The funding will support expanded behavioral health infrastructure at the facility, including 20 peer respite beds for people needing short-term stabilization and support.
More information is available at jcod.lacounty.gov.