Technology Innovation Challenge Winners Announced to Help Streamline Homeless Services Delivery
Leveraging technology to help people experiencing homelessness, Los Angeles County has announced awards in its Technology Innovation Challenge. nw
The winners will share $1.375 million in grant funding to develop transformative, human-centered solutions to help the County and its partners improve homeless services delivery in four key areas. Each firm will receive $200,000 to $500,000.
Here is a list of the winning projects:
Category: Centralized Customer Portal Winner: One Degree
Project description: One-LA-Connection is a web-based and mobile-accessible hub for Los Angeles County residents experiencing homelessness to be screened for, apply for, and manage services needed to stabilize and thrive.
Category: Customer-Driven Mobile Digital Services Winner: Akido Labs
Project description: Akido Labs is partnering with HOPICS to enable a client-driven approach to South L.A.’s homelessness response efforts by democratizing access to public-services data.
Category: Geomapping Hub & Resources Winner: Huemen Design
Project description: LA Helplink is a solution focused on fundamentally understanding audiences who will consume data in order to create a platform that delivers accurate outcomes for everyone.
Category: Operational Reporting of Performance Outcomes Winner: Huemen Design
Project description: LA Helplink is a human-centered, intuitive platform that brings centralized data to enable data-based decision-making to help people experiencing homelessness in L.A. County.
Judging was conducted by a panel of homeless services and technology experts, with final selection by Phil Ansell, Director, Los Angeles County Homeless Initiative; Heidi Marston, Executive Director, Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority; and William Kehoe, Los Angeles County Chief Information Officer.
“These award-winning entries demonstrate the power of technology and innovation to help us solve real world problems experienced by real people,” Ansell said. “The Homeless Initiative is proud and grateful to be able to sponsor this Challenge and help move our homeless services delivery system to the next level.”
“We know homelessness is dynamic and our response to this crisis needs to reflect that. Technological innovation is one of the best ways for us to remain responsive. LAHSA is eager to partner with the winners of this challenge to drive creative solutions that will help us collectively serve our unhoused neighbors,” Marston said.
“The Technology Innovation Challenge brought forward civic tech companies from around the country that were passionate in providing modern technology solutions to help L.A County residents who are experiencing homeless access services, receive information and get the help they need,” Kehoe said. “L.A. County is proud to help foster these public-interest solutions from our partners in the private sector.”
The winning projects will now be customized to meet current homeless services needs, based on input from upcoming focus groups with representatives of County departments and partner agencies. After the design phase, the goal is to have the projects begin implementation in January 2021.
A short video highlighting the winning projects can be viewed and downloaded here: https://vimeo.com/441443369/
For more information about the winning entries, please visit https://
