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 during our fall member drive.
Help shape LA County's new homelessness department
L.A. County Board of Supervisors voted in April to create a new department to oversee homelessness spending.
(
Mario Tama
/
Getty Images
)
Los Angeles County officials are asking the public to weigh in on what kind of leader will head the new department dedicated to homelessness by taking a survey or attending an online listening session.
Some background: The L.A. County Board of Supervisors voted earlier this month to pull funding from the L.A. Homeless Services Authority, known as LAHSA, and create a new county department after LAHSA failed to properly track billions in taxpayer dollars.
About the new department: The new department will combine the county’s existing Housing for Health program and the Homeless Initiative and bring county homeless services under one department. Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said the move will make services more transparent and accountable.
What’s the timeline? The county has 15 months to transition funding and establish the new department by July 1, 2026.
Support for LAist comes from
How to take the online survey: Go to L.A. County’s website by Friday, April 18, to take the anonymous survey.
Want to share more? Register to attend an online listening session at noon April 21 or 6 p.m. April 24.
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.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Kevin Lacy has an obsession with documenting California’s forgotten and decaying places. -
Restaurants share resources in the food hall in West Adams as Los Angeles reckons with increasing restaurant closures. -
It will be the second national day of protest against President Donald Trump. -
The university says the compact, as the Trump administration called it, could undermine free inquiry and academic excellence. -
This is the one time you can do this legally! -
Metro officials said it will be able to announce an opening date “soon.”
Best of LAist