LOS ANGELES — For people who are experiencing homelessness or have been in and out of jail, gaining access to subsidized housing is just step one in the effort to get them off city streets.

Many of these housing recipients struggle to furnish their new apartments, stock their refrigerators, or set up the internet to access critical resources.

In the case of one Hollywood resident, Manny Castro, a nonprofit organization was able to help him turn his housing situation into a home.

Second Chance Mission surprised Castro by fully furnishing his home, which included buying him a new bed, a couch and TV, fresh groceries and even a coffee machine.

“That helped me to set the foundation,” Castro said.

But with nearly 42,000 homeless residents living in Los Angeles, Castro is a drop in the bucket. Programs to keep people in permanent housing after getting them off the streets are few and far in between.

Mayor Karen Bass’s new program to tackle homelessness in Los Angeles offers unhoused residents’ motel or hotel vouchers and social services to turn their lives around. It’s unclear how long those services last or if they’ll be able to come up with a more permanent solution to the crisis.

As for Castro, he is thankful he gets a new lease on life through this newly furnished apartment, but his story is unlike many others.