PATHMALL APPROACH TO SERVICES
The shopping mall has become an American icon within our society. We flock
to it to purchase consumer goods, to see movies, to take walks around miles
of corridors, or to simply hang out. It's a place for families, seniors,
teens; it is a place for everyone. It is a one-stop haven for all of our
middle-class needs.
PATH (People Assisting The Homeless) has created a new
kind of American mall, located in Los Angeles, California. Instead
of a shopping mall, however, PATH has created a service mall for people
who are homeless or living in poverty. The PATHMall houses
dozens of private and public social service agencies situated in mall
suites along a modern mall corridor. There's a full-service employment
agency, substance abuse center, mental health care, free medical clinic,
public benefits assistance, community court, and even a beauty salon.
If a person is living in poverty or living on the streets, this mall
provides every service that she or he would need to overcome barriers
and access permanent housing.
PATH opened the PATH Mall in 2002. It is a collaborative of 19 community and
government social service agencies that form a "one-stop shopping center" for
homeless individuals. It is part of a 40,000 square foot facility, called the
PATH Regional Homeless Center. In a span of one year, the Mall transforms the
lives of thousands, helping 1,200 people receive mental health assistance,
500 people find permanent employment, 850 people receive health care, and over
6,000 people receive free haircuts and manicures.
The innovation and success of the PATH Mall has been featured in national and
international media. ABC World News Tonight highlighted the PATH Mall and stated
it is the only facility of its kind in the nation. Community leaders from throughout
California, as well as from Japan, Ireland and England have visited the PATH
Mall and become inspired to learn more about replicating it in their own cities.
The Idea Behind PATHMall
PATH values the importance of collaborating with the community. We believe
that, in order to end homelessness, all entities -- non-profit agencies, government
offices, business, faith groups, schools, and individuals -- need to work together
in providing positive, effective solutions. To that end, all our programs are
integrated into the community in which we serve.
Our PATH Mall is a working model of collaboration. We house a variety
of other government and private service agencies within the mall.
