La Puente, El Monte and neighboring areas’ homeless population increases

Some residents share how they found housing

Trevor Megginson, Community News Reporter|November 9, 2022

Measure H funds help extend the Pomona Armory Shelter. Photo courtesy of Hilda Solis.

Drug addiction led Everett Jones, 42, to become homeless and end up behind bars for 12 years.

After getting out of prison on probation, he said he went to Alcoholics Anonymous — the first step to turning his life around. Now, like many others, he’s living in a low-income housing shelter in the city of La Puente.

But dozens of people in La Puente are living on the streets. The number of people experiencing homelessness increased dramatically by more than six-fold, from 16 in 2018 to 121 in 2022, according to data from the Los Angeles Homeless Service Authority (LAHSA).

Meanwhile, the total homeless population in Los Angeles County’s District 1 area — which includes La Puente, some of Los Angeles, West Covina, Pomona, and El Monte — increased 26% from 12,530 in 2018 to 15,748 in 2022.

“I was homeless,” David Mojica told UT Community News by phone. “I was living in the river bed.”

Mojica was living under the 60 Freeway, by Peck Road in El Monte. He finally got a place with help from the Salvation Army Bell Lighthouse Corps.

Here is a list of short- and long-term shelters near La Puente, their addresses and phone numbers.

East San Gabriel Valley Coalition for the Homeless

15701 Hill St, La Puente, CA 91744

Open 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Monday to Friday

Website: www.esgvch.org

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 626-333 -7204

San Gabriel Valley Consortium on Homelessness

1760 W Cameron Ave, West Covina, CA 91790