Poverty Reduction Initiative

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Focus of the Initiative

In August 2017, the City of West Hollywood City Council approved a Poverty Reduction Initiative to create innovative interventions for low-income residents in West Hollywood and evaluate the success of those interventions. The Poverty Reduction (PR) Initiative is designed to build upon and complement the City’s existing commitment and efforts to assist low-income residents: supporting a continuum of social services to provide vital resources; Aging in Place/Aging in Community Initiative to address the evolving needs of older adults; the Homeless Initiative to provide homelessness prevention and address the impacts of homelessness; protecting and enforcing a rent stabilization ordinance, offering inclusionary housing, and partnering with non-profit affordable housing developers to provide affordable housing in West Hollywood.

Priority Areas:

CalFresh - Apply for Food Benefits

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What is CalFresh?
Calfresh is a monthly benefit that helps you buy food. Use CalFresh at over 60 grocery stores, food retailers, restaurants and farmers markets in and around West Hollywood – including the West Hollywood Helen Albert Farmers Market.

As of April 2020, you can use your CalFresh card to purchase groceries online at select retailers, including Amazon, Walmart, and Vons. For more information about CalFresh online, click here.

How to Apply for CalFresh

Online: www.getcalfresh.org
Phone: Call LA County Department of Public Social Services:
866-613-3777
818-701-8200
626-569-1399
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Get 1-on-1 Help Applying

For older adults (ages 50+):

West Hollywood Comprehensive Service Center / JFS: 323-851-8202

LA LGBT Center Senior Services: 323-860-5830

For people with disabilities:

West Hollywood Comprehensive Service Center / JFS: 323-851-8202

Disability Community Resource Center: 310-390-3611 x 227

For all West Hollywood community members, regardless of age, disability, or health status:

APLA Health: 213-201-1615

Documents Needed to Apply

ID, Bank statements, Utility receipts, Green card/proof of citizenship

Medical Expenses: Get more benefits when you show your medical expenses. Collect your monthly medical receipts to include with your application. Including things you pay for like: hearing aids, dentures and other dental expenses, doctor bills, prescription drugs and other over the counter medication approved by a doctor, transportation costs to healthcare services, attendant care

Pilot for Guaranteed Income - Learn about the first pilot in the country for older adults

CITY OF WEST HOLLYWOOD PILOT FOR GUARANTEED INCOME: THE FIRST PILOT IN THE COUNTRY FOR OLDER ADULTS

As the City of West Hollywood believes that community members should not have to choose between rent, groceries, medications, utilities, and other costs they prioritize, the City has turned to the emerging promise of guaranteed income to research and evaluate a different way to address poverty. The City’s first guaranteed income pilot launched in 2022 and provides unconditional cash payments of a $1000 a month to 25 older adults living on a low income; the first payment was distributed on August 30, 2022 and will be continuing for 18 months.

The West Hollywood Pilot for Guaranteed Income (WHPGI) is part of the City’s efforts to help prevent homelessness, assist community members to age in place, and reduce the stressors of financial instability. The data that supports the pilot’s focus on older adults includes California’s Master Plan for Aging as well as the City’s 2019 Community Study.

To learn more about the data supporting the need for a pilot for the target population, as well as the history, demographics, pilot partners and funding for the WHPGI, click here for Additional Details.

For more information about guaranteed income in general and the specific components of this pilot, click here for the FAQ and visit NCJW|LA’s website: www.ncjwla.org/whpgi.

For background information and context for the WHPGI, please see the following Staff Reports:

January 19, 2021 staff report to City Council, introducing concept of guaranteed income and request to join Mayors for Guaranteed Income network.
June 21, 2021 staff report to City Council with update on pilot development.
December 20, 2021 staff report to City Council with partner contract proposals, request for acceptance of external funding for participant distribution and corresponding Resolution.
May 16, 2022 staff report to City Council, providing an update on the original pilot and creation of a revised pilot and corresponding Resolution.
January 22, 2024, staff report to City Council with update on pilot development

To access the current spending data on the WHPGI participants, please go to the Stanford Basic Income Lab’s Data Dashboard here.

We welcome your feedback and questions about the program; please contact us at Strateginitiatives@weho.org.

Approach to Identifying & Addressing Needs

The PR Initiative focuses on the gathering of local poverty data, researching best practices – globally and nationwide - in poverty reduction programs, identifying local collaborations that promote research and evidence-based programming, enrolling low-income residents in programs to provide personalized interventions, evaluating the program over time, and providing recommendations on future interventions. Since the PR Initiative began the City has collaborated with local partners to expand efforts to assist West Hollywood residents to complete CalFresh applications to help access federally funded nutrition assistance, provided more than 1.6 million dollars in rental assistance to address some of the financial hardships/impacts of COVID19, as well as launched the West Hollywood Pilot for Guaranteed Income for older adults living on a low income. To learn more about the need for the Poverty Reduction Initiative in West Hollywood, please read the Staff Report.