[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 98 (Friday, June 26, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1581]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    A TRIBUTE IN RECOGNITION OF THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF SRO HOUSING 
 CORPORATION AND THE GRAND OPENING OF ITS NEW JAMES M. WOOD APARTMENTS

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 25, 2009

  Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize SRO 
Housing Corporation, a nonprofit, community-based organization 
dedicated to building a vibrant community for homeless and very low-
income individuals in the Central City East community of Downtown Los 
Angeles in the 34th District, an area more commonly known as ``Skid 
Row.''
  Skid Row is home to one of the largest populations of homeless 
persons in the nation. To address the needs of this vulnerable 
population, the late James M. Wood, who served as the Chairman of the 
Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles, pursued a 
vision in the late 1970s to include in the revitalization of Downtown 
Los Angeles a plan to redevelop the Skid Row area and address its 
rampant homelessness.
  In 1977 that plan began to take form as the City of Los Angeles 
adopted a redevelopment plan for the Downtown Los Angeles Central City 
East area to preserve and expand the single room occupancy hotels in 
the area. To acquire and rehabilitate the hotels, the Single Room 
Occupancy (SRO) Housing Corporation was founded in February 1984 by the 
Community Redevelopment Agency under the leadership of James Wood.
  Through the development of thousands of affordable housing units, the 
SRO Housing Corporation provides a full continuum of emergency, 
transitional, and permanent housing for Skid Row residents. This 
month's grand opening of the James Woods Apartments, at 408 E. 5th 
Street and 506 S. San Julian Street, is the most recent shining example 
of its successful efforts to develop clean, safe and affordable housing 
units. The project involved converting two decaying parking lots into a 
5-story building containing 53 studio apartments with private bathrooms 
and kitchenettes.
  The corporation also offers a wide array of supportive services for 
its clients, including food services, case management, transportation, 
support groups and referrals. Every week, SRO Housing serves nearly 
4,000 meals in its emergency shelter and senior meal program as well as 
delivering over 8,000 pounds of food and fresh produce to all 
permanent-housing sites. This critical service ensures that very low-
income individuals, who are attempting to sustain themselves on a fixed 
income, receive nutritious foods that would otherwise be absent from 
their diets. In addition, SRO Housing provides its residents with a way 
to regain basic living skills through classes in cooking, laundry, and 
money management.
  The SRO Housing Corporation also works to build a sense of community 
belonging for its residents. It manages two public parks--the San 
Julian Park and Gladys Park--and operates the James Wood Community 
Center where area residents can socialize and have fun in safe, clean 
and public areas located in their own neighborhood.
  With 25 years of experience, SRO Housing Corporation has a unique 
insight into the needs of the Skid Row community. More than 40 percent 
of its diverse and multi-cultural staff is made up of formerly homeless 
individuals, residents and community members whose history and life 
experiences are a source of inspiration to others.
  Madam Speaker, on the occasion of SRO Housing Corporation's 25th 
Anniversary and the Grand Opening of its new James M. Wood Apartments, 
I join today with my congressional colleagues in recognizing all of the 
many dedicated people who make this fine organization the beacon of 
hope that it is today. I especially commend Anita Nelson who works day 
in and day out to keep James Wood's memory and mission alive as the 
corporation's Chief Executive Officer. I also pay tribute to the SRO 
Housing Corporation's community partners, supporters, invaluable 
volunteers, its entire staff and, most of all, the residents of the 
Skid Row community. Thousands of lives have been transformed and 
positively impacted through the wonderful work of SRO Housing 
Corporation and I wish everyone involved with this fine organization 
many more years of continued success.

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