Eric Lovett | Founder and Executive Director, Urban Street Angels

Eric Lovett has nearly 25 years of relevant leadership experience with non-profit organizations and charitable causes across the United States. Since founding Urban Street Angels in 2012, Lovett has spearheaded the organization’s growth with a keen eye toward expanding the scale, scope and impact of its efforts to eradicate youth homelessness in San Diego and beyond. As Executive Director of Urban Street Angels, Inc., he has a very critical role to play in this fight. Under his guidance, the organization’s volunteers have established Urban Street Angels as one of Southern California’s most impactful movements in the Basic Human Services space.

With the mission to help end youth homelessness in San Diego by 2020, Lovett founded 8 West in 2015 as a new phase in the evolution of Urban Street Angels. Previously, he had witnessed firsthand the great need for a sustainable solution to youth homelessness when he provided emergency shelter in his own home for several homeless for over one year. Based on those experiences, 8 West was launched as a social enterprise start-up to provide transitional employment and supportive housing opportunity for transition age youth (18 – 25) living on the streets of San Diego. Through its independent living model (the first of its kind in San Diego), the program’s primary goal remains to help over 100 homeless youth off the streets by 2020.

In partnership with the County of San Diego HHSA/MHSA, the 8 West program cultivates an environment that provides the support, tools and opportunity to positively and sustainably change lives forever. By building community around our homeless youth, a healthy foundation is established to enable their return to a society that will benefit from their participation. From hopeless to hopeful, 8 West provides a #HandUp to a healthier, happier and more productive future for homeless youth seeking to leave the streets behind for good. And in conjunction with the weekly outreach activities in the community, and the weekly overnight shelter for homeless youth, 8 West stands at the forefront in the organization’s effort to end youth homelessness by providing a sustainable solution that offers hope and opportunity.