People experiencing homelessness or those at risk of homelessness have historically been disregarded and criminalized by our City and County of Los Angeles. The main goal of this fellowship was to center the experiences of our unhoused residents, uplifting them, protecting them, and supporting them throughout the criminalization of homelessness. In this project, I supported Ground Game LA, Street Watch LA, and the UCLA Luskin Institute on Inequality and Democracy to navigate how the State of California, Los Angeles County, and the City of Los Angeles responded to the COVID-19 crisis for those experiencing homelessness. The research team created a safe space for our unhoused researchers to share their direct experiences in living in Project Roomkey housing sites. The risks for unhoused residents were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, when individuals living on Los Angeles’ streets were on the front lines of exposure to the virus. The State, County, and City responded in ways that allowed for some support by implementing Project Roomkey, then Project Homekey. The latter, a government-funded project, is meant to be permanent housing provided to target populations of people experiencing homelessness and people at risk of homelessness. However, overall, these Projects were not sufficient to support all our unhoused residents. Profits and sustaining the economy were seen as more of a priority than human life.

In order to challenge the Projects, it was important for us to understand how they function, who is involved, and who is responsible. To support the efforts of the research team, I searched for any available public documentation to put together the puzzle that was Project Roomkey. For the benefit of the bureaucracy, a lot of the organizational structure was unavailable to the public, so tracking any information we could was essential and complicated. The report entails a research summary, focusing on the application process and the funding process of Project Homekey. It is meant to serve individuals who need a quick resource on how the project works, as Project Homekey is completely electronic and online.