Los Angeles (Calif.) County General Hospital has been vacant for more than 14 years. Now, county leadership is preparing to transform the 1.2 million-square-foot facility into a housing and treatment center for the homeless, Los Angeles Magazine reported Nov. 30.
The $250 million project will create a so-called "Healthy Village" for homeless populations, featuring housing, mental and medical healthcare and social services, according to the magazine. An 8-acre "Restorative Care Village" will be built on the ground with short-term and permanent housing. Both villages are expected to be complete by 2026.
The announcement comes one day after New York City Mayor Eric Adams directed police and emergency medical services to involuntarily hospitalize mentally ill people off the streets, sparking a national dialogue about hospitals' role in supporting the unhoused.