Guest Opinion : Rabbi Joshua Levine Grater: Neighboring Cities Have Found Solutions to Solving Unsheltered Homelessness

At our monthly Human Services Committee meeting last week, we had a presentation from Gene Edelman, co-founder of Azure Printed Homes. He is committed to, and passionate about, ending unsheltered homelessness. And rather than talking about it, he is actually doing something about it. A recent project opened in San Luis Obispo is just one of many that the company is working on. For this one, they partnered with an organization called DignityMoves. Here is the description: 

“DignityMoves and the City and County of San Luis Obispo partnered to deliver 54 new homes—14 interim supportive housing units and 40 permanent supportive housing units. The units feature innovative 3D-printed technology from Azure Printed Homes, which transforms recycled plastic into durable housing built 70% faster and 30% more affordably than traditional methods. In collaboration with Good Samaritan Shelter, Welcome Home Village combines this breakthrough housing with on-site services to help community members exit homelessness and move toward long-term stability.”

All of the units were manufactured in LA in six weeks. The total process from design, permitting, installation and grand opening was 11 months. The units are installed with ground screws which saves thousands of dollars, and means they are moveable in the future. They were installed in an underutilized section of a local hospital. Through partnership, innovation, vision and community engagement, this project helped over 50 people to get out of encampments and into transitional housing. And, what was one of the more remarkable aspects of this development, was what transpired between the local residents and their neighbors moving into the units. After protesting, as always happens, folks came to understand the project, and 350 people attended the grand opening of the village, ‘adopting’ one of the new residents. They provided bedding, kitchen items, artwork and other things to make the new houses more of a home. 

Rather than continuing to write about why Pasadena seems unable to find any solutions for the unsheltered, I am going to share just a handful of the dozens of projects that DignityMoves has opened all around our state. So, when we hear that solutions are too hard, too expensive and need more “study,” we can point to these as examples. And, I am not going to just share the website and encourage you to read about them. Here are the descriptions of the projects taken directly from their website, Dignitymoves.org. These are just a small sample of what they have built. And please notice that ALL of the projects have onsite case-management, wraparound services and plans to move people into permanent housing when it comes available.

*The East Hollywood interim supportive housing community will include 51 beds, intentionally designed to offer safety, dignity, and stability for transitional-age youth (TAY) and adults experiencing street homelessness. The site will be constructed using BOSS Cubez modular units, each approximately 64 square feet, providing residents with a private, secure space they can call their own. The community will feature a communal dining area, community room, laundry facilities, on-site offices for staff and case managers, and outdoor gathering spaces designed to foster connection and healing. All elements are built with a trauma-informed approach, supporting residents’ sense of agency, privacy, and belonging. Located in East Hollywood, this project is designed to support encampment resolution efforts, offering a dignified pathway indoors and onward to permanent housing. 

*In partnership with the City of Los Angeles and Aviva Family & Children’s Services, DignityMoves is developing a perinatal substance use disorder residential treatment facility in Hollywood that will provide a lifeline for pregnant and postpartum women experiencing street homelessness. The project will include 27 beds, a medical room, exercise room, and laundry room, offering safety and dignity for mothers and their newborns. Once open, the program will serve 40 to 50 families each year, pairing stable housing with wraparound care including maternal health, substance use treatment, and case management. The project is funded through a mix of philanthropy and $9.3M from California’s Proposition 1 behavioral health dollars (BCHIP), designed to expand services for those with mental illness and substance use disorders. Construction is expected to begin in spring 2026, with the opening planned for 2027. 

*DignityMoves is proud to partner with the City of Thousand Oaks, the County of Ventura, and Hope the Mission on Thrive Grove —an interim supportive housing community offering safety, dignity, and a path forward for individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness in the City of Thousand Oaks. 

*The Lewis Road community near the City of Camarillo is a supportive housing project that will bring 80 private, dignified homes to Ventura County. Developed in partnership with Ventura County, the City of Camarillo, Gold Coast Health Plan, and Many Mansions, this Homekey-funded community will provide on-site services to help residents move from street homelessness to stability. Completion from groundbreaking to opening is expected within 12–18 months. 

*DignityMoves is partnering with the County of Santa Barbara to develop Santa Barbara Family Village, a 30-unit fast, cost-effective supportive housing community for families with children on the Santa Barbara County Calle Real Campus. Made possible through an $11.7 million Homekey+ award and $7 million in philanthropic support, this community will provide families a place to stabilize and move forward. Santa Barbara Family Village is expected to open in late 2027 or early 2028. 

*Located on land donated by Valley Water, this new interim housing community in San Jose serves 132 residents in a thoughtfully designed tiny home village. Each private unit offers residents a safe place to rest, store belongings, and begin stabilizing from street homelessness. The site includes sleeping units, shared bathrooms and showers, laundry, and a community room for programming, meals, and resident gatherings. Administrative spaces on-site allow case managers and service teams from HomeFirst to meet regularly with residents, helping them access the support they need to move forward. 

So, in my humble opinion, rather than researching enforcement policies, I would recommend researching the solutions instead. Mr. Edelman and Azure Printed Homes are anxious to meet with government leaders, nonprofits, businesses and anyone who is ready to make one of the above projects into a reality for Pasadena. We can also hear directly from DignityMoves. Maybe by 2028, we too could be celebrating a grand opening. And that would be true dignity and compassion for our unsheltered neighbors. 

Rabbi Joshua Levine Grater is the CEO of Friends In Deed and Chair of the Pasadena Human Services Commission.