Our Mission
The mission of Los Angeles Room & Board (LARB) is to ensure that California’s community college students realize their postsecondary education goals by providing affordable transitional housing designed to end homelessness and, through our residential education program, promote persistence, retention, and completion from their certificate, associate’s and bachelor’s degree programs.
Who We Are
Los Angeles Room & Board (LA Room & Board) exists to ensure that California’s community college students achieve their post-secondary education goals by providing affordable transitional housing designed to end homelessness and, through our residential education program, promote persistence, retention, and completion from their certificate, associate’s and bachelor’s degree programs.
Our Values
EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
Expanding educational opportunities for those who’ve been denied access, marginalized, and pushed out of educational institutions.
BETTER ENVIRONMENT
Every student is deserving of the chance to flourish in a productive, healthy and secure environment.
COMMUNITY
Working in and with the communities we operate in, and will strive to preserve community identity & strength.
OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL
Race, ethnicity, nationality, skin color, gender, sexual orientation, ability, language, and religion should not be factors of economic or educational opportunity.
ECONOMIC & SOCIAL JUSTICE
Understand homelessness and community college completion as matters of economic & social justice
BASIC NEEDS
Every student in pursuit of higher education should have a secure, stable living environment that meets their basic needs.
What We Do
Create living-learning communities that provide a safe, secure, and supportive environment with one-on-one case management and access to extensive support services which will allow students to hone in on life, leadership, and social skills. We seek to support students in identifying housing without respect to credit worthiness, income level, or other barriers. The program will utilize a hybrid Rapid Rehousing and Transitional Housing model, which fully subsidizes student’s housing expenses for a period of time and progressively requires students to pay toward their housing expenses.
Business Model
LA ROOM & BOARD IS FOCUSING ON TWO APPROACHES
A typical existing four-person dorm would cost LA Room & Board approximately:
$36,000 per year = $25 per day
Using existed vacant multifamily facilities help to avoid the costs associated with the creation of new housing construction.
The Problem
The Solution
LA ROOM & BOARD SEEKS TO IDENTIFY AND ENTER INTO AGREEMENT WITH:
Institutions of higher education with vacant bed spaces within campus dorms to lease such vacant bed spaces to LA Room & Board to provide a stable place to live for students experiencing food/housing insecurity and/or homelessness.
Housing providers with vacant campus adjacent facilities that are conducive to community living and are easily to accessible via public transportation.
HOUSING IS A
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT.
HOUSING IS A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT.
Who We Will Serve
TRANSITION-AGE FOSTER YOUTH
LARNB understands the intersectional way in which homelessness impacts community college students. The compounding impact of homelessness affects those that are already pushed out and marginalized, with Los Angelenos of color – especially Black men and women – disproportionately at risk and experiencing its harmful effects.
38%
of all children in foster care in California reside in L.A. County.
38%
of all children in foster care in California reside in L.A. County.
50%
of all young adults who age out of foster care end up homeless or incarcerated
3%
of all foster care youth wind up graduating from college
3%
of all foster care youth wind up graduating from college
Who Needs Our Help
These groups are disproportionately affected by food and housing insecurity, and homelessness.
Food Insecurity
African American
Native American
Ever in foster care
Divorced/widowed
More than one race
Housing Insecurity
African American
Native American
More than one race
Have children
Over 25 years-old
Divorced/widowed
Homelessness
African American
Native American
Ever in foster care
Divorced/widowed
