Skid Row Care Campus, Low Barrier Navigation Center, 442 S. Crocker Street
Summary
SCH Number
2025010983
Public Agency
Los Angeles County
Document Title
Skid Row Care Campus, Low Barrier Navigation Center, 442 S. Crocker Street
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
1/30/2025
Document Description
On January 14, 2025, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, action on behalf of the County of Los Angeles, authorized the Chief Executive Officer or her designee to enter into a lease for the property at 442 S. Crocker Street and subsequently Department of Health Services (DHS) will enter into an agreement with an operator to run the Skid Row Care Campus facility -- a Low Barrier Navigation Center with enhanced services. The project consists of the lease of an existing 36,707 square-foot site including a 15,000 square foot building (as well as recently completed small accessory buildings) for purposes or operating a shelter/low barrier navigation center. The Skid Row Care Campus will include two components: 1) Safe Services Space facilities would provide laundry facilities, restrooms/showers, and small exterior pavilion/booth with staffing to coordinate services for people experiencing homelessness (PEH) and would provide a park-like setting with raised deck/stage, relaxation areas, benches, shaded cabanas, pet area (with four kennels), and a community garden; 2) Harm Reduction Health Hub building would include approximately 22shelter beds (including two recliners), office areas, exam rooms, community rooms, bathrooms, lounge spaces and reception. The facility would be considered a low-barrier navigation center as it would a) offer services to connect people to permanent housing, b) be linked to a system that coordinates participant intake, assessment and referrals, c) comply with applicable codes, d) have a system for entering client information, and e) implement best practices to reduce barriers to entry (presence of partners, pets, storage of possessions, privacy). The Safe Services facility would maintain 10 staff during the day (7 am to 3 pm) and 10 staff during the evening (3 pm to 11 pm) seven days per week, year-round. The Harm Reduction Health Hub would maintain 37.5 staff members during the day (7 am to 3 pm); 8 during evenings (approximately 3 pm to 11 pm), and 8 during nighttime (11 pm to 7 am) seven days per week, year-round. The project would be ADA-compliant in accordance with the Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC) and would include controlled access entry to the facilities. Primary ingress and egress would be via S. Crocker Street with additional egress available on Towne Avenue and trash service pick up available from the alley along the southern property line. The Harm Reduction building could also have doorways that open on to the alley. All access points would be controlled. The project would include leasing an existing surface parking lot (approximately 13,721 square feet or 0.31 acres) with 50 surface parking spaces located about one block northeast of the proposed Skid Row Care Campus at 332 Omar Street.
Contact Information
Name
Sarah Mahin
Agency Name
Housing for Health, Los Angeles County Department of Health Services
Job Title
Director
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency / Project Applicant / Parties Undertaking Project
Phone
Email
Name
Deborah Lever
Agency Name
Housing for Health, Los Angeles County Department of Health Services
Job Title
CIIP Capital Projects, Program/Project Manager
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency / Project Applicant / Parties Undertaking Project
Phone
Email
Location
Coordinates
Cities
Los Angeles
Counties
Los Angeles
Regions
Citywide, Countywide
Cross Streets
Crocker Street and 5th Street
Zip
90013
Total Acres
0.84
Jobs
58
State Highways
US 101, US 110, I-10
Railways
Metro light rail, Union Station
Schools
Ninth Street ES, Para Los Ninos ES, Central HS, Beyond Bell HS
Waterways
LA River
Other Location Info
442 S. Crocker Street, Los Angeles, CA 90013
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Emergency Project
Type, Section or Code
Sec. 21080(b)(4); 15269(b)(c)
Reasons for Exemption
Homelessness in the City and County of Los Angeles experienced a large increase from 2016 to 2023, with 2024 remaining similar to 2023. According to the 2023 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, the County of Los Angeles had at the time of the count (January 2023) approximately 75,518 people experiencing homelessness countywide (a 9% increase from the previous year), including approximately 46,260 in the City of Los Angeles (a 10% increase from the previous year). The County of Los Angeles represents approximately 25 percent of the State of California’s population, but over 40 percent of the state’s unhoused population. The City of Los Angeles represents 9.6 percent of the State of California’s population, but nearly 25 percent of the state’s unhoused population. On December 12, 2022, the City of Los Angeles declared a state of emergency on homelessness and activated the city’s Emergency Operations Center. On January 10, 2023, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to proclaim a local emergency for homelessness in the County of Los Angeles. Previously, on April 17, 2018, Mayor Eric Garcetti declared a shelter crisis to provide emergency housing for the unsheltered homeless people in the City of Los Angeles. On October 30, 2018, the LA County Board of Supervisors declared a shelter crisis to address homelessness in unincorporated LA County. This project would provide supportive housing to people in extreme need and would immediately house people who are currently on the streets or are in an interim facility (including shelters and hospitals) awaiting housing and either are in danger of becoming homeless or are taking up space that could be used by homeless people. The Skid Row Care Campus would immediately help prevent further emergency for those served by the project and generally help in mitigating the conditions associated with the homelessness emergency and shelter crisis. Thus, the project would be eligible for the CEQA emergency project exemption.
Exempt Status
Statutory Exemption
Type, Section or Code
CEQA Section 21080.27(d)(1) and (3) – Los Angeles Exemption for Low Barrier Navigation Centers (AB 785)
Reasons for Exemption
The 442 S. Crocker Street Skid Row Care Campus facility would be partially funded from one of the eight sources identified in PRC 21080.27(a)(6) -- a necessary condition for meeting the definition of a low barrier navigation center for purposes of this exemption. (The project is anticipated to have at least partial funding from Measure H – sales tax proceeds.) Consistent with CEQA Section 21080.27(d)(1), the project is, “[a]n action to lease, … for … a low barrier navigation center...” and thus exempt from CEQA. In addition, the County would provide financial assistance in furtherance of implementing a low barrier navigation center and therefore subsection (d)(3) also applies to exempt the project from CEQA. Since no additional construction or rehabilitation work will be needed for the project the subdivision (e) regarding prevailing wage requirements is not applicable to the project. [CEQA Section 21080.27(e)].
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
CEQA Guidelines Section 15303 – Class 3 – New Construction or Conversion of Small Structures
Reasons for Exemption
In addition to the main shelter structure, the project includes several small structures (restrooms/shower/laundry, services booth, shed, gardens, cabanas/shade canopies) that in total would not amount to more than 10,000 square feet.
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
CEQA Guidelines Section 15332 - Class 32 -- Infill Development Projects
Reasons for Exemption
The project is consistent with applicable general plan designation and zoning. The project site is within the City of Los Angeles, is less than 5 acres and is surrounded by urban uses. There is no habitat on the site. The project would not have the potential to significantly impact traffic, noise, air quality or water quality based on proposed site improvements and anticipated changes in occupancy. Typical construction techniques for building rehabilitation would be used that would be required to comply with applicable regulations including Low Impact Development (LID) and Noise Ordinances. The site is located in an urban area well-served by utilities and public services.
None of the exceptions to exemptions, found at Section 15300.2 of the State CEQA Guidelines would apply to invalidate the Class 32 categorical exemption. Based on the record, the County has determined the following: (a) the site is not located in a sensitive environment; (b) the project would not create significant cumulative impacts by contributing to impacts of successive projects of the same type in the same place; (c) there is no potential for the project to result in a significant effect on the environment due to unusual circumstances; (d) the project would not result in damage to a scenic resource; (e) the site is not on a list compiled pursuant to Section 65962.5 of the Government Code; (f) the project would include changes to a building constructed in 1976, but the building is not significant, and therefore the project would not change the significance of any historical resource.
County Clerk
Los Angeles
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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