HIS Receives $375,000 Grant to Renovate Shelter

By Terelle Jerricks, Managing Editor

On April 12, Rep. Nanette Barragán presented a $375,000 check to Harbor Interfaith Services to renovate the organization’s women’s shelter at 10th Street, in San Pedro. The money will go toward outfitting the facility with new exterior windows, refrigerators and new paint. The check will also cover expenses to temporarily relocate the families during the capital improvements to the facility.

The facility has 22 units. Twenty-one of those units are for families and one unit is for the onsite resident manager.

Founded in 1975, Harbor Interfaith is the result of a merger between two San Pedro organizations, the fish pantry, and the Harbor Interfaith shelter. This unification integrated the delivery of the most fundamental human services: nutrition and shelter.

Over the years, the food pantry has grown into the Family Resource Center and Harbor Interfaith services today.

Aside from the housing programs, HIS has a child care center and serves as a hub for LA County’s Coordinated Entry System in Service Planning Area 8. In 2021, Harbor Interfaith provided over 23,000 services to 9,000 individuals.

During her comments, HIS executive director, Tahia Hayslet, noted that 90% of the clients Harbor Interfaith serves are single-parents, whether they are single mothers, single fathers, and in some cases grandparents taking care of grandchildren.

“Their fall into homelessness could be [due] to loss of employment; the [family’s] breadwinner decided to move on. There could be a domestic violence situation or substance abuse situation,” Hayslet explained. “They come from different walks, but they have the same common goal and that goal is to provide their family with stability, and find permanent housing at the end of their stay.”

Through case management, Harbor Interfaith works with families to increase their income, connect them to employment and resources to change their situation.

“Our goal is really to get to the root cause of the problem and then to offer them a better solution,” Hayslet said.

Barragán is a member of the Congressional homeless caucus, a dedicated forum for members of Congress to work toward the common goal of ending homelessness in this country.

The congresswoman noted that in fiscal year 2022, LA County received nearly $150 million in federal funds for organizations that connect our unhoused community members. Harbor Interfaith received more than $1 million of that funding.