At the forefront of LA County’s care-first approach: Erika Toriz
4.10.2023
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LISC StoriesSafety & Justice
For 38 years, the LA County Board of Supervisors and Commission for Women have honored women who work to bring about social change and promote women’s equality. This year, Erika Toriz, Founder and Executive Director of Haven Neighborhood Services, was recognized as “Woman of the Year” for her tireless work to advance equity in the business and labor sector for the last two decades.
Erika draws inspiration from her mom, who immigrated to the United States alone. Her mom nannied and cleaned homes throughout her life, and always put her heart and soul into any work she did. Erika has applied that same ethic to her passions and work.
Born and raised in San Martin Cuautlalpan, a small town outside of Mexico City, Erika immigrated to the United States at the age of 16. Her firsthand experience with financial hardships led her to found Haven Neighborhood Services.
Haven Neighborhood Services is a nonprofit housing and financial counseling agency providing comprehensive no-cost education and direct services for low-income families in Los Angeles County. They are committed to empowering the community by educating the most vulnerable to understand basic financial principles, make better financial decisions, and seize economic opportunities.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing, leaving little discretionary income for bills and expenses. Homelessness starts rising when rents in a region exceed 22% of the median income, and in Los Angeles, the median rent is 46.7%, as reported by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA). Chronic financial and housing instability imposes high stress and limits a person’s ability to improve their overall financial and housing outlook. By educating the community on financial principles, Haven Neighborhood Services helps consumers make informed financial decisions.
Having worked with formerly incarcerated adults for over a decade, Erika plans to develop and implement innovative financial education programs that can divert people from prison by providing them with the resources to move forward in life.
She participated in LISC LA’s Alternatives to Incarceration (ATI) Incubation Academy, an initiative of LA County’s Justice Care and Opportunities Department, designed to provide training and technical assistance to small, grassroots organizations that provide community-based services but have faced challenges obtaining government contracts and funding.
The year-long academy focuses on communications and fund development, nonprofit management, best practices and reentry, county contracting, and individualized capacity assessment and mentorship from established providers.
“Haven Neighborhood Services remains a vigilant guardian of those whose mission is to protect. We teach our clients financial literacy in a language they can understand to help them see through the myriad of pitfalls and chicanery of deceptive financial practices. People make mistakes in life, and they should be granted a second chance instead of being punished,” said Erika.
LISC LA is proud to highlight phenomenal women like Erika who advocate for and work to better the lives of vulnerable people in Los Angeles County.
Learn more about the Alternatives to Incarceration Incubation Academy at https://www.lisc.org/la-incubation-academy.
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