A Step to Freedom has been transforming lives in South Los Angeles for over three decades. Here is what that looks like in data — and in people.
By the Numbers
These numbers represent real people — individuals who refused to be defined by their circumstances, and a community that refused to give up on them.
Lives Transformed
Individuals who have completed at least one ASF program since 1991
Served in 2025
Adults housed and supported in 2025 — 326 currently in our care
Permanent Housing Rate
Participants who secured permanent housing in 2024
Mental Health Access
Participants who accessed mental health services in 2024
Housing Beds
Available across ASF's 7 South Los Angeles facilities
Years Serving
Consecutive years of uninterrupted service to South LA
Why It Matters
South Los Angeles has some of the highest rates of incarceration, homelessness, substance use, and mental illness in California. These are not coincidences. They are the predictable outcomes of decades of systemic disinvestment, over-policing, and a criminal justice system that punishes poverty.
A Step to Freedom was founded on the conviction that with the right housing, the right services, and the right community, every justice-involved adult in South LA can define their own future. Our data — and more importantly, the people behind that data — prove that conviction right, every single year.
Program by Program
Each ASF program is purpose-built for a specific need. Together, they form a comprehensive pathway from crisis to stability to freedom.
Interim Housing
244 beds across 7 South LA facilities provide safe, structured housing alongside wraparound case management — the foundation that makes everything else possible.
Rise & Thrive Workforce
A five-pillar reentry workforce accelerator connecting participants to fair-chance employment.
Mental Health & Recovery
Trauma-informed, culturally responsive care embedded in our residential programs.
Permanent Housing
From transitional stability to lasting homes — long-term stability for individuals rebuilding after incarceration.
Family Reunification
Addressing one of incarceration's deepest wounds — because family is one of the most powerful forces for lasting change.
Community Outreach
Warm the Streets and Blessing Bags — meeting unhoused residents where they are, with resources and dignity.
Voices of Impact
"Before ASF, I had a record and nowhere to go when I got out. The first night, they had a bed for me. By month three, I had a job. By month six, I had my own place. That's not luck — that's what this program does when you commit to it."
"I'd been on the streets for two years when the Warm the Streets team found me. They didn't just give me a blanket — they sat with me. They came back the next week. Eventually I trusted them enough to walk through the door. That walk changed my life."
"My caseworker at ASF called my daughter for me when I didn't have the courage to. She helped us figure out how to start rebuilding our relationship. We're not there yet — but we're talking. That's everything."
Invest in Transformation
Behind every statistic on this page is a person who got a real chance. Your gift funds the housing, services, and community that make these outcomes possible.
Secure donation powered by GiveLively. 501(c)(3) tax-deductible. EIN: 95-4704879.
