With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
LA Homelessness Agency Launches Plan To Treat Homelessness Like A Disaster
A tent on Skid Row, June 30, 2019. (James Bernal/LAist)
Nearly 60,000 people sleeping on the streets of L.A. sure seems like a disaster to many Angelenos. Now, local leaders plan to treat it like one.
The L.A. Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) plans to start organizing homeless services through a Housing Central Command, modeled after the federal approach to housing people after natural disasters. It presented the plan in a report to the County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.
Since December, LAHSA officials have worked with experts on emergency housing to draft a plan to more quickly house homeless people who qualify for permanent supportive housing in L.A.
Currently, people in LAHSA's system have to wait an average of 10 months between being matched to housing and signing a lease.
Sponsored message
The first step of the revamp plan is taking inventory of available units.
This has been challenging, LAHSA’s Interim Executive Director Heidi Marston told the Board of Supervisors, since LAHSA is governed and funded by so many different entities. (LAHSA is an independent body jointly created by the city and county of L.A. It manages over $400 million each year in city, county, state and federal funding to fight homelessness.)
“The intention of Housing Central Command is to bring that universal understanding so that we’re looking at how all of our resources interact with each other regardless of who funds them and who administers them,” Marston said.
LAHSA officials plan to test out the new strategy on housing applicants in Downtown and East L.A. this week. At this point, it’s not clear how many permanent supportive housing units are actually available, but agency officials say they should know more in 30 days.
GO DEEPER:
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
