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Our History
People Assisting the Homeless (PATH) initiates the “Yes in My Back Yard” campaign to stem the NIMBY resistance to services and housing for people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles. The first Homeless Connect Day is held at the former Hollygrove site on Vine St.
Philip Mangano, President Bush’s “homeless czar,” attends an invitation-only event at the Roosevelt Hotel, and brings a new concept to Hollywood with him: to accept full responsibility for those who are homeless in your community, business leaders must aspire to end homelessness, rather than take the far costlier approach of simply “managing” it.
The Hollywood 4WRD grass-roots coalition comes to life with a name and a logo and a commitment to regular meetings with a diverse group of stakeholders representing faith, businesses, service providers, government representatives and community. Two early 4WRD initiatives:
- A “snapshot” homeless count within a defined Hollywood catchment area
- Co-hosting PATH’s fourth Homeless Connect Day at the Music Box Theatre
H4WRD takes part in the creation of the first Hollywood Homeless Registry. In partnership with Common Ground, volunteers fan out over the course of 3 nights to survey nearly 300 persons experiencing homelessness (PEH), creating a by-name registry of the most vulnerable. The effort unified the community and led to the formation of the Hollywood Homeless Outreach Team.
Hollywood 4WRD gathers with the community to celebrate the grand opening of Villas at Gower, the first example of Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) in Hollywood. The project encountered fierce resistance from some determined to prevent this type of housing. The opening represents a meaningful triumph for 4WRD, and serves as a catalyst for continued growth of the coalition.
H4WRD holds its first retreat in a perfect setting for the evolving coalition -- a rehearsal room at the Hollywood Bowl! Among the providers who join are PATH, Step Up, GettLove, Housing Works, LACDMH, Blessed Sacrament, My Friend’s Place and others. By the end of the day, they have formalized an advocacy agenda, which leads in time to the creation of the Hollywood Top 14 list – those individuals most in need of attention on the streets of Hollywood.
Hollywood 4WRD holds a second retreat in DTLA and tackles the key issues of the moment:
- how to increase the effectiveness of the new Coordinated Entry System (CES);
- how to better coordinate outreach being done by various organizations in Hollywood;
- how to support or advocate for the needs of frequent service utilizers and the Hollywood Top 14.
H4WRD attempts to keep up with the quickening pace of developments around homelessness:
- The homeless count reveals a disappointing 20 percent increase over the previous year
- Voters approve Measure HHH in L.A. City (11/16) and Measure H in LA County (3/17)
H4WRD members collaborate with civic leaders on how the influx of new Measure H monies can be better coordinated in greater Hollywood.
Facing the uncertainty of the mysterious Covid pandemic, Hollywood 4WRD convenes a Zoom meeting in March and continues to meet every week for the next year to collaborate and share resources. The time has come to transition from an informal grass roots coalition to something more sustainable and professional.
Thanks to a grant from The Hollywood Partnership (BID), a Steering Committee puts the finishing touches on a strategic plan for Hollywood 4WRD, creating a foundation and funding support to hire a full-time executive director. That goal is realized in April of 2021 with the hiring of Brittney Weissman.
LA County Department of Mental Health (DMH) chooses H4WRD to be their partner and community liaison for Hollywood 2.0, the new 5-year program intended to bring innovative, community-based care to Hollywood. The launch of H20 in July of 2022 coincides with the expansion of H4WRD as they bring aboard Tim Davis as their new Communications and Operations Director.
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Our Policy Positions
IN SERVICE OF OUR MISSION, WE BELIEVE THAT:
Homelessness policy should benefit from the wisdom of the community of Greater Hollywood: housed and unhoused residents, business and property owners, faith-based organizations, and service providers.
Ending homelessness is inextricable from overall economic vitality. Addressing homelessness at the expense of economic development in Greater Hollywood is a non-starter, as is addressing economic development at the expense of homelessness.
All options for bringing unsheltered people indoors should be employed immediately. Hollywood should have an abundance of permanent supportive housing, board + care, interim housing, safe camping/parking, detox centers, public toilets, refresh spots, and access centers.
LA City and County must invest in workforce development. Volunteers add to but cannot substantively replace professional social services. Beyond living wages, a cultural
shift to elevating the status of homeless service, mental health, and substance use treatment providers must be a priority.
Hollywood’s quality of life can be improved for everyone through transparent, equitable systems that reliably provide medical, mental health, and substance use treatment, mitigate public health and safety hazards, prevent crime, and enforce fair sharing of public space.
These beliefs represent fundamental organizational values of inclusivity, leadership,collaboration and communication at Hollywood 4WRD, but are not exhaustive.
Our Values
Inclusivity
Leadership
Communication
Collaboration
Our Four Pillars
Advocacy
Service Coordination
Education
Innovation
Advocacy
Education
Service Coordination
Innovation
Leadership
Staff
Brittney Weissman
Brittney Weissman has worked at the intersection of advocacy, healthcare, and public policy for 20 years. For eight+ years prior to joining Hollywood 4WRD as its inaugural Executive Director, she was the first Executive Director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Greater Los Angeles County where she provided community, hope, and policy advocacy for everyone affected by mental illness, their families, and friends in Los Angeles County.
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Tim Davis
Tim Davis brings a diverse, multi-disciplinary background and a long term commitment to the health and welfare of vulnerable populations to Hollywood 4WRD. The range of his professional experience gave him great insights on how to craft engaging content and establish enduring relationships with leaders in the Hollywood community.
Clarissa Raguindin
Clarissa is thrilled to join the Hollywood 4WRD team as their Operations & Events Assistant. In addition to being hard-working, detail-oriented and a quick learner, she brings to the role a wealth of relevant administrative experience as the Customer Service Lead and Special Orders Assistant in the campus bookstore at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB). In that role, she provided support to students, faculty, and staff while helping to maintain many of the bookstore's relationships with their independent vendors.
Board of Directors
Over the past 34 years, Nicole has been a force for good in the field of Human Services and Social Work, supporting individuals experiencing homelessness, mental illness, and substance use disorder seeking medical services from emergency departments. In her current role as a CalAIM provider for most health plans, Nicole offers personalized care management services committed to improving health outcomes. Positive coping strategies: Being spiritually grounded, hanging out with family & friends, shopping, traveling and playing golf.
David has lived in Hollywood for over 40 years, most recently as a homeowner at The Broadway Hollywood. After years with an international law firm, he is currently a Managing Director at Frederic W. Cook & Co., Inc., which primarily advises boards of directors with respect to executive compensation. He is a board member of The Hollywood Partnership. Positive coping strategies: Athletics, reading.
Leading with heart, humor, and determination, Heather has been with My Friend’s Place for 23 years, serving as the Executive Director since 2009. My Friend's Place offers comprehensive services to 1,000 young adults experiencing homelessness between the ages of 12 and 25 each year. Positive coping strategies: Finding goodness in unexpected places, running, and the love of dog.
Aditi is a Hollywood resident and housing policy advocate. Prior to working for United Way, she spent almost six years working for the California State Assembly where she advocated for tenant rights and worked to change the public narrative on unsheltered homelessness. Positive coping strategies: karaoke, audiobooks, and good conversations over good meals.
Arnali brings over 14 years of experience in non-profit social services and healthcare, and a passion for helping marginalized communities. Her career and volunteer service have focused on helping the most vulnerable populations access basic needs and vital services. Positive coping strategies: petting my rescue doggy JJ, being in nature, hiking, and trying new restaurants with my hubby and friends.
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Brian brings to the H4WRD Board a broad expertise in computer science with over 15 years' experience developing solutions for a variety of customers including the government, academia, and the non-profit sector. When he's not working at the Jet Propulsion Lab supporting space missions and global satellite navigation infrastructure, Brian donates his technical expertise to local political campaigns and organizing with our partners at the SELAH Neighborhood Homeless Coalition to address homelessness in Los Angeles. Positive coping strategies: Fishing and cooking passable meals shared with dear friends.
David has lived in Hollywood for over 40 years, most recently as a homeowner at The Broadway Hollywood. After years with an international law firm, he is currently a Managing Director at Frederic W. Cook & Co., Inc., which primarily advises boards of directors with respect to executive compensation. He is a board member of The Hollywood Partnership. Positive coping strategies: Athletics, reading.
Leading with heart, humor, and determination, Heather has been with My Friend’s Place for 23 years, serving as the Executive Director since 2009. My Friend's Place offers comprehensive services to 1,000 young adults experiencing homelessness between the ages of 12 and 25 each year. Positive coping strategies: Finding goodness in unexpected places, running, and the love of dog.
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Jackie is the Chief Strategy Officer at Saban Community Clinic, a network of federally qualified health centers serving Los Angeles metro and Hollywood communities. She began her career in non-profit health care, supporting community health centers to integrate women’s and sexual health services that are comprehensive and culturally appropriate. Positive coping strategies: Cheating her diet, staying active, and taking on new challenges.
Having served for over 20 years as the CEO of Downtown Santa Monica, Inc., Kathleen now brings her energy and expertise to Hollywood, where she oversees an organization whose mission is to enhance the appeal, vitality, and well-being of the Hollywood Community from the ground up. Positive coping strategies: Cooking, traveling and going to the theater.
After 22 years managing The Hollywood Property Owners Alliance, Kerry stepped away in early 2019 to pursue her passion for facilitating a “new way forward” with respect to how people with mental illness in our society can be treated, integrated into community and enjoy the whole life they deserve. Positive coping strategies: calligraphy, listening to classical music and cooking.
Marina is an Urban Planner by trade with experience working in both public service and the private sector. She specializes in coordinating and processing land use entitlements and discretionary actions across multiple jurisdictions. Her role at Kilroy involves analytical property research, project management, government relations, community engagement, and coordination with consultant teams. Positive coping strategies: cooking and baking (especially for/with her husband and two young boys), going on runs through the Hollywood and Franklin hills, and listening to Spanish guitar.
Natalie is a real estate executive with 15+ years of environmental, social and governance (ESG) expertise. She currently leads the ESG and innovation team at Hudson Pacific Properties, a real estate investment trust with over 2 million square feet of office and studio properties in Hollywood. Positive coping strategies: spending time with family, getting outside, and reading.
Over the past 34 years, Nicole has been a force for good in the field of Human Services and Social Work, supporting individuals experiencing homelessness, mental illness, and substance use disorder seeking medical services from emergency departments. In her current role as a CalAIM provider for most health plans, Nicole offers personalized care management services committed to improving health outcomes. Positive coping strategies: Being spiritually grounded, hanging out with family & friends, shopping, traveling and playing golf.
With decades of experience in individual, organizational and community transformation, and a life-long commitment to helping the most vulnerable, Steve facilitates evaluation and growth for the enhancement of effective functioning and psychosocial adjustments, helping to bring about change that enhances human well-being. Positive coping strategies: gym rat, hiking, cooking/baking, and the garden is my happy place.
Who’s Involved
A diverse range of Hollywood stakeholders participate, including:
- Service Providers
- Nonprofit Organizations
- Neighborhood Councils
- Government Representatives
- Faith Organizations
- Healthcare Organizations
- Businesses and Residents
Many of the stakeholders have been involved in Hollywood 4WRD from the beginning and others are new to the grassroots coalition. We welcome you to join us and find out more!
