Soulless Housing
On the surface, Soul Housing seems to be what LA needs the most. Their own website states “With over 1,000 beds available across 30 locations, we are focused on
delivering high-quality, comprehensive care and support to homeless or displaced individuals in need. As a DHCS CalAIM Community Supports provider, we serve individuals who are transitioning out of medical facilities or are at risk of hospitalization. Our goal is to offer a safe, supportive, and structured environment with short-term housing and individualized care-including clinical and medication oversight.”
The problem? According to u/Daniel-Cali424, at least one Soul Housing location is mass-evicting residents. u/Daniel-Cali424 took to Reddit in search of help, any kind of help:
This has been one of the most painful weekends in my life. I have never seen or experienced something so cruel in my life. There will be 100’s mentally sick homeless people in Los Angeles being thrown out to the streets on Monday. I stay in a recuperative care in Los Angeles named SOUL HOUSING. They have different facilities across Los Angeles for men and women who have mental issues. They decided on Friday to give us about 70 mentally disabled homeless people a notice to leave the facility on Monday saying out medical cut us off out of the blue. I stay at the soul housing on 1540 South saint Andrews facility, which is by Venice blvd and western. Remember, this is not a homeless shelter. It’s a mental institution, the people here that are being thrown out are not mentally capable of navigating the streets.. and to make matters worse, they gave us the notice on Friday and almost all government social services and homeless services are closed on weekends, so we will be on the streets on Monday morning trying to figure out what to do. The facility I am staying are kicking out 70-80 people. They have different facilities so it will be in the 100’s mentally disabled people being kicked out to the streets in Los Angeles. There is lot of people crying here right now. They have no family or help. They are kicking out people that have no business being on the streets. There is a kid who has half of his brain cut out because of gun violence, he will be out on the streets tomorrow. I gave you the address and I will post a picture so you can see for yourself. We have a caravan of disabled people tomorrow morning heading to skid row. These people will be exposed to drugs and all the crazy stuff that happens in skid row. Please help us ….
As I managed apartments, I can’t be sure how the law applies to mental health facilities, particularly when some of the residents may be unable to take care of themselves. State law requires landlords to give at least 30 days’ notice to move out (60 days if the tenant has been in place longer than a year), but I can’t be sure if Soul Housing operates under the law as it applies to landlords, innkeepers (who CAN give three days’ notice), or hospitals (which are supposed to have discharge plans).
u/Daniel-Cali424 is reporting from the 1540 South St. Andrews Place facility, but Soul Housing’s website claims “Each facility is independently owned and operated.” I have emailed Soul Housing and asked if this is happening at other SH properties, or just this one. (I also asked about their policy when a patient’s insurance runs out and under which section of the law they operate.)
I realize they may not respond at all (or may give a vague “waaaah we don’t control the operators” non-answer), but I’m hoping they have the decency to clarify this. Their response - or lack thereof - will be posted if and when I get it.
If I’m not mistaken, care facilities are supposed to provide referrals when discharging patients. State mental hospitals have discharge plans. They are not supposed to involve dumping patients out onto the street.
I checked ZIMAS to see if any information about the property could be used to help the patients. It’s a new facility (built 2023) and not subject to RSO, but it does fall under the Just Cause for Eviction Ordinance…which doesn’t apply to licensed care facilities.
The complex was originally built as apartments, but became supportive housing per an agreement with the city (with support from Heather Hutt). There are often incentives for this.
Speaking of incentives, u/Daniel-Cali424 mentions “They made us change our insurance to the one that accepts their program when we first moved in here. That was the requirement to get into this program. It’s a great program, that’s why I [sic] sad to leave…” (The insurance company, incidentally, is Health Net.)
Eviction letters sent to patients were signed by Chief of Operations Casey Reinholtz, who is also the creative director of a cannabis company. Less than a week ago on June 9, Casey’s wife Kirsten Von Reinholtz posted a picture of both of them with Mayor Karen Bass and recalling a conversation about homelessness. She stated “It’s this relentless commitment to protecting our most vulnerable that first made me fall in love with this town.” Her account has since been set to private.
Yes, I am well aware that state budget shortfalls are already hurting care facilities. That is NOT an excuse to abruptly dump dozens of patients (who all have rights!) onto the streets with nowhere to go.
I have come across some truly vile and unforgivable behavior in the course of writing this blog, but this is one of the worst things I have ever encountered - if not THE worst.