Housing Services /Overview

 “Housing first!” has been at the forefront of Portals’ service delivery system for more than three decades. At Portals, developing housing options for our members is all about providing places where they can live with dignity, and receive the vital supportive care they need.

 Portals offers a complete continuum of housing services that range from dual diagnosis transitional residences to permanent independent living programs. We create opportunities for members to find appropriate housing and continue to support them -- with case management, mental health services, life skills training, and social rehabilitation services – as they progress to full community integration.

 The Portals Dual Diagnosis Transitional Residence program offers opportunities for members to address their co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorders, while working to gain independent living skills. Portals operates two dual diagnosis transitional residences in Central and South Los Angeles: Twin Peaks and Rampart.

 Portals also offers an array of Transitional Housing Services for members, including those receiving intensive mental health services through the Transitional Age Youth and Intensive Community Services programs. Most of these members are homeless when they come to Portals and need a structured program to help them address their mental health and substance abuse disorders while they work on enhancing their independent living skills. Support is provided to our members through our various program locations in Los Angeles, as well as through our home-based visits to members.

 For members with the skills necessary to live independently with minimal assistance,  Portals offers -- through our Supportive Permanent Housing program -- opportunities for them to secure and maintain permanent housing. Portals has, for example, a long-standing collaborative relationship with A Community of Friends (ACOF), Los Angeles-based affordable housing developer. Members enrolled in the Portals Supportive Permanent Housing Program are eligible to transition into ACOF independent living apartments, for example, as well as other community sites. Portals currently supports 225 members in achieving one of their most important goals – living successfully in permanent housing of their choice.