Los Angeles County Breaks Ground on Post-Release Reentry Facility
Los Angeles County has started construction on a dedicated post-release navigation and short-term housing facility across from Men’s Central Jail, backed by more than $8.5 million in conditional California behavioral-health infrastructure funding.
Project at a glance
| Item | Current record |
|---|---|
| Conditional state grant award | More than $8.5 million |
| Planned facility | 13,000 square feet · three levels |
| New peer-respite capacity | 20 beds |
| Planned operating model | 24 hours a day · 7 days a week |
| People engaged by existing program | More than 12,000 since June 2024 |
| Status | Construction underway |
Construction begins across from Men’s Central Jail
The Los Angeles County Justice, Care and Opportunities Department broke ground September 9 on the Warm Landing Place Facility at 955 N. Vignes St. in downtown Los Angeles.
The planned 13,000-square-foot, three-level facility will sit directly across from Men’s Central Jail and is designed to operate around the clock. JCOD says it will provide voluntary housing support, behavioral-health resources, health screenings, counseling and connections to longer-term services for people leaving county custody.
When complete, the county says the site will become its first dedicated post-release navigation center specifically designed for people leaving incarceration.
Existing program has engaged more than 12,000 people
Warm Landing Place launched in June 2024 to engage people immediately after release from the downtown Los Angeles jail complex.
The program connects participants with interim housing, transportation, food and water, hygiene supplies, behavioral-health support, substance-use referrals, employment resources and other community services.
JCOD reports that the program has engaged more than 12,000 people. Its existing footprint includes a service trailer adjacent to the Inmate Reception Center and a nearby 29-bed short-term transitional housing site with supportive services.
Behavioral-health funding supports the expansion
Earlier in 2026, JCOD was selected for a conditional state grant award of more than $8.5 million from the California Department of Health Care Services through Bond Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program Round 2: Unmet Needs.
The funding will support expanded behavioral-health infrastructure at the new facility, including 20 new peer-respite beds for people needing short-term stabilization and support.
DHCS announced $1.18 billion in conditional Bond BHCIP Round 2 awards statewide on March 11. Awards remain conditional and subject to DHCS program requirements.
Reentry services move closer to the point of release
The project places multiple voluntary services immediately outside the jail-release environment rather than relying solely on referrals after an individual has returned to the community.
The planned facility combines housing support, behavioral-health resources, peer respite, health screenings, counseling and connections to longer-term services in a location designed specifically around the transition from custody.
The funding structure also shows how reentry infrastructure can cross agency lines. The state funding originates through a behavioral-health infrastructure program, while the facility is designed around people leaving county custody.
Housing is part of the reentry infrastructure
Housing assistance is already part of Warm Landing Place. JCOD describes the program as providing short-term housing and connections to housing options and other community-based services for people leaving custody.
The permanent facility will add a dedicated physical location where immediate housing and stabilization needs can be identified alongside behavioral-health and other reentry needs.
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Search OACRA’s public California Housing Directory for housing and reentry-related community resources across the state. Program requirements, availability and acceptance should be confirmed directly with each organization.
California Housing Directory →County capital project moves into construction
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved acquisition of the Vignes Street property in May 2024. In March 2026, the Board formally established the Warm Landing Place Facility capital project and authorized Public Works to proceed with design and preconstruction.
Public Works is delivering the project through a Progressive Design-Build agreement with Abbott Construction LLC. The project includes demolition of the existing single-story structure and construction of the new three-level facility.
The September 9 groundbreaking marks the transition into construction.
Behavioral-health funding meets justice infrastructure
The Warm Landing Place project sits at the intersection of county corrections, behavioral health, housing, reentry and community services.
The state award is not a corrections appropriation. It comes through California’s behavioral-health infrastructure program while supporting a facility specifically designed for people returning from incarceration.
Services used after release can be financed through behavioral-health, housing, workforce and other government programs outside traditional corrections budgets.
What happens next
Construction milestones will determine when the permanent facility becomes operational and when the planned peer-respite capacity becomes available.
The state funding remains conditional under DHCS program requirements. Subsequent county and state records may provide additional information on construction progress, operating arrangements, service delivery and the facility’s opening schedule.
Official sources
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More News & Policy Review →Editorial note: OACRA News & Policy Review is published by OACRA LLC, an independent private organization. OACRA is not affiliated with or endorsed by Los Angeles County, the California Department of Health Care Services, or any agency, contractor or organization referenced. Information is based on official government records reviewed September 10, 2026 and may change through contracting, construction, agency implementation or subsequent government reporting.
