Boyle Heights shelter opens beds for homeless women

The non-profit Proyecto Pastoral, historically a men's shelter, has opened its doors to homeless women; staff there say they're hoping the shelter will act as a transition into permanent housing. The women’s shelter will provide beds for up to 15 women for periods of 30 to 90 days, offer English classes, work force training, and mental health services. Project director Raquel Roman said that the death of a homeless woman who would visit the shelter during the day and sleep in the park illustrates the special importance of an all-night women's safe zone. "You can see the lady walking down the street, you know she’s having a hard time and living probably in an alley, but we hadn’t really talked about it... At the moment I thought we were doing enough for her.” Read more about the new project in Boyle Heights, on Boyle Heights Beat.