2006 Housing Developer of the Year
2006 Case Management Organization of the Year

Single Room Occupancy (SRO) Housing Corporation

History

The Central City East area of downtown Los Angeles, also known as “Skid Row”, is home to one of the largest populations of transient (homelesss) persons in the entire United States. In the late 1970’s, James M. Wood, who served as the Chairman of the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles, formed a conviction that any plan to revitalize downtown Los Angeles must include the redevelopment of the Central City East (Skid Row) area to address the area’s dire housing conditions. Skid Row, which encompasses approximately 50 square blocks within the boundaries of 3rd and 7th Streets and Main and Alemeda Streets, is one of the most impoverished neighborhoods in the Western United States. Skid Row residents, whether homeless or housed, are often poor, elderly, disabled, mentally ill, addicted to drugs/alcohol, chronically ill, and/or unemployed.

In 1977, after years of litigation, the City of Los Angeles finally adopted a redevelopment plan for the downtown Los Angeles Central City East area to preserve and expand the single room occupancy hotels in the area. In pursuit of that plan, Single Room Occupancy (SRO) Housing Corporation was founded in February 1984 by the Community Redevelopment Agency to acquire and rehabilitate single room occupancy hotels in the area. Since 1984, SRO Housing Corporation has pursued its mission of community revitalization by providing clean, safe and affordable housing, managing public spaces, and administering needed social support services.