A look inside new bridge housing center opening up in Hollywood

HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Officials Tuesday night toured a new bridge housing center for the homeless, set to open in Hollywood next week.

Chad Roy has been homeless for over 20 years and says he fears for his life almost every day. Thanks to the city of Los Angeles and its partners, a temporary bridge housing facility with 72 beds is opening up in Roy's Hollywood neighborhood along Schrader Boulevard, between Sunset Boulevard and Selma Avenue.

"I'm moving in there because I'm 45 years old and it's about time for me to get off the street. Plus, this little guy deserves it," Roy said as he held his dog. "It's a good opportunity. I didn't have this opportunity before. Nobody approached me with, 'Hey, you want a place to live?' They pretty much ignored us."

Eyewitness News toured the facility, which was constructed in a city-owned parking lot and will operate for the next three years.

The facility is divided into a sleeping area for men and for women. It will offer services to the homeless to help them find jobs, and there's even a dog park for those who have animals.

The homeless will stay there for four to six months with the goal of getting them into more permanent housing.

"What this gives you is a good meal everyday, a place to store your stuff, clean clothes because there's laundry facilities, a place to go to the bathroom -- not on the streets -- so you can clean yourself up and your life up and get the counseling and support you need," said L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti.

Doug Slohm and Fan Zhou live near the new facility and know 72 beds won't help all 900 homeless in Hollywood, but they applaud the city for moving forward.

"I like to think that it's a city (where) we provide them an option. As people, maybe they don't want to be placed in a place like this, but if they want to, I want them to have the option," Zhou said.

To prevent homeless encampments from being set up right outside the facility, possibly by people who can't get beds inside, the city says they're going to bring more resources including public safety, sanitation and more outreach.