Dan Tenenbaum, chairman of the California Apartment Association’s Local Advisory Council in Los Angeles, received accolades this week for his work to improve homelessness-related programs in the region.
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors recognized Tenenbaum and several other apartment owners for serving on the Housing Provider Advisory Board for PATH, short for People Assisting the Homeless. The nonprofit runs the LeaseUp L.A., a program that connects homeless individuals with landlords who are willing and able to rent to them.
“Homeless programs that rely on the private market work best when they include input from the apartment owner community,” Tenenbaum, president and founder of Pacific Crest Real Estate, said in this Facebook post.
“Meeting regularly throughout the year, we have provided input to the largest homeless agencies in L.A. County on how to make their programs more robust. Higher damage deposits, lease-signing bonuses and other incentives were program improvements developed with apartment owner input.”
Such improvements are encouraging a growing number of landlords to rent their vacant units to homeless individuals and make strides against this ongoing crisis, which Tenenbaum called the “most important issue of our time.” In 2019, officials estimated that 59,000 people were experiencing homelessness in L.A. County, including 27,000 of them unsheltered.
In addition to his efforts to curb homelessness and his leadership role on CAA’s L.A. board, Tenenbaum is a commissioner for the city’s Housing Authority, which administers the local Section 8 program.
During Tuesday’s recognition ceremony, Supervisor Sheila Kuehl singled out Tenenbaum for all the work he does.
“I don’t think he sleeps,” Kuehl said. “He’s got too many things that he’s doing.”
Jennifer Hark-Dietz, executive director of People Assisting the Homeless, also praised the volunteers for their impact on LeaseUp L.A.
“This group of housing providers volunteers their time, taking difficult housing challenges in what we know is a very tight rental market with a goal of removing barriers and increasing access for those experiencing homelessness,” Hark-Dietz said. “We need everyone focused on helping people make it home. We are grateful for their contribution, dedication and ongoing partnership.”
