On the heels of the passage of Measures H and HHH by L.A. county and city voters, respectively, Perch Projects attended the 2nd Annual AIA Los Angeles Design for Dignity conference on July 14th. The event drew a wide range of designers and activists focused on using the funds allocated in the aforementioned measures to find solutions to ending homelessness, create affordable housing and develop healthy neighborhoods. Above, Isela Gracian (center), President, East LA Community Corporation, provides perspective on developing inclusive communities. She is joined on the panel by Cynthia Strathmann (left), Ph.D., Executive Director, Strategic Actions for a Just Economy and Dalila Sotelo, President, Affordable Housing Commission, HCIDLA.
In his keynote address, City of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti outlined his administration’s comprehensive strategy for helping the 57,000 humans currently experiencing homelessness to secure and keep permanent housing. The strategy rests on 3 pillars: 1) housing people who were currently homeless by scaling up the Coordinated Entry System (quickly and efficiently matching people to available housing and services by stitching existing programs together); 2) creating more rapid rehousing subsidies; and 3) developing more permanent supportive housing. Photo | Paul Redmond Photography
Design for Dignity 2017 attendees filled the pews at McCarty Memorial Christian Church, coming together in awareness that Los Angeles is facing not just a housing crisis but also a crisis of human connectivity and compassion. Photo | AIA Los Angeles
Will Wright, AIA Los Angeles’ Director of Government and Public Affairs (far left), moderated a discussion aimed at empowering the architecture profession to invest measure H annd HHH dollars using integrated design thinking.
Panelists (from left to right): Wright; Dhakshike Wickrema, Assistant Senior Deputy for Homelessness and Mental Health, Office of Mark Ridley-Thomas, LA County; Alisa Orduna, Homelessness Policy Director, Office of LA Mayor Eric Garcetti; Jacqueline Waggoner, Commissioner, Los Angeles Housing Services Authority; and David Howden, Associate Director, Corporation for Supportive Housing. Photo | Paul Redmond Photography
Roland Wiley, AIA, Principal of RAW International, led a conversation on best practices for ensuring inclusive communities and healthy neighborhoods for families, children and seniors. Photo: Paul Redmond Photography
Shining a light on innovative housing solutions, John S. Egan AIA (center left) of Egan Simon Architecture was joined by members of the USC Homeless Studio and Woodbury University Social Innovation Studio projects. From left to right, Sofia Borges, Acting Director, MADWORKSHOP; Egan; David C Martin FAIA, Co-founder, MADWORKSHOP; R Scott Mitchell, Principal, Gigante AG, and Assistant Professor of Practice, USC School of Architecture. Not shown: Deborah Richmond AIA, Professor in Practice, Woodbury University.