County to Rehab Vine Street Motel as Housing for Homeless

The Board of Supervisors Tuesday approved the rehabilitation of a 34-unit motel in Hollywood as permanent housing for the mentally ill homeless, including veterans.

The three-story Galaxy Inn at 1057 Vine St., now uninhabitable, will be renovated at a cost of $250,000 to create 32 efficiency units, each with a bathroom and kitchenette, and two manager units. The ground floor will include community rooms, offices, a commercial kitchen and a cafe open to the public.

The project is a partnership of Step Up on Second, a nonprofit mental health provider that has developed and operated permanent supportive housing for more than 15 years, and the Hollywood Community Housing Corp.

Step Up on Second will provide built-in furnishings for each unit and two free meals a day for residents.

The staff will also assess residents' mental health needs and offer life skills and vocational programs and social and recreational activities.

The funds come from a $20 million allocation pledged by the board in 2005 for the construction or renovation of year-round emergency shelters and additions to the support system for the homeless.