The Downtown Drop-in Center is a nurturing social place that augments nearby shelters by providing the homeless with on-site programming, counseling, and health services.  A sanctuary from the streets, the homeless are meant to feel like “guests,” and light is seen as the medium of the spirit, fundamental to the creation of an architecture of joy and dignity. While the hope was to attract at least 200 people a day, the Center has been attracting between 800 and 1400 guests daily.  It is considered a phenomenal success by the guests, the operators, and its owners, the Los Angeles Homeless Shelter Authority.  It is an uplifting social place and a model for cities nationwide for addressing the needs of the homeless.