For Immediate Release
Contact: Elisa Vásquez, (323) 890-7415, elisa.vasquez@lacdc.org
Los Angeles (June, 2012) – This month, the Los Angeles County Housing Resource Center (HRC) celebrates its five-year anniversary. The web-based service, a partnership between the Community Development Commission of the County of Los Angeles (CDC) and Socialserve.com, a non-profit organization, has experienced great success and continued growth since its launch in 2007. Within 8 months of its launch, the HRC reached its one millionth search. It now sees 2.9 million searches annually.
The HRC, available at www.Housing.LACounty.gov, is a one-stop shop of up-to-date housing listings, information, and resources in Los Angeles County. The service has helped countless of Los Angeles County residents find and rent their homes, transition away from homelessness, and access critical housing services and assistance. Restricted-access segments of the HRC offer specialized services for caseworkers seeking housing and assistance for clients, including tenants with special needs.
Listing and searching for units on the HRC is completely free. Both the website and toll-free call center are available in English and Spanish, and Google Translate offers numerous additional language options online. The call center, powered by Socialserve.com, who built and maintains the HRC, is an integral element of customer service. Available weekdays from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., the call center offers free support for those who cannot access the Internet or simply prefer live, human support. The call center handles about 4,000 Los Angeles County calls each month. To further ensure that the HRC can be reached by all who need it, the call center offers TTY/TDD relay, and the website meets ADA Web accessibility standards.
The CDC sponsors and actively markets the HRC, contributing to its constant growth. Over 10,500 property providers are currently listing affordable Los Angeles County units on the HRC, and an average of 3,800 units are listed as available on any given day. HRC visitors are presented with quick links to population-specific housing listings, resources for tenants facing eviction, shelter listings, detailed information on housing programs, and a host of other resources.
In 2010, the HRC received an Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties, which recognized the website as a model program. The success of the HRC inspired entities like the City of Pasadena and Affordable Living for the Aging to launch sister sites to further increase access to housing for their constituents.
Sean Rogan, CDC Executive Director stated, “I am immensely proud of the success of the HRC. This site has established an expandable online platform for housing information and resources. Its evolution over the years shows the extraordinary level of demand for Countywide housing information.”
Please visit www.Housing.LACounty.gov, or call (877) 428-8844 for more HRC information. Media may contact Elisa Vásquez, CDC Public Information Officer, at (323) 890-7415.
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