Board of Supervisors Vote to Extend Shelter Crisis Declaration in Los Angeles County
Los Angeles, CA (January 7th, 2025) –Today, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion authored by Supervisor Solis which declares a shelter crisis in Los Angeles County, as an extension of a previous resolution, for an additional year, from November 2nd, 2024 to November 1st, 2025. To that end, this declaration will authorize continued use of County resources to provide relief or support for County residents without an ability to obtain shelter.
As of June 2023, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) found that there are 75,518 people experiencing homelessness on any given night in the County. Lack of shelter poses an acute, clear, and imminent threat to the health and safety of all unhoused individuals. Those who are unsheltered experience overwhelmingly high rates of poor overall health and often do not receive treatment for physical and mental health symptoms. However, when individuals gain access to shelter, their health conditions improve, along with their prospects of securing permanent housing and thereby pathways towards sustained improvements in health, life expectancy, and personal safety.
In January 2023, the County of Los Angeles proclaimed a local emergency for homelessness due to the conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons. As part of its emergency proclamation, the County adopted an Encampment Resolution to reduce unsheltered homelessness in partnership with local jurisdictions, increased housing for interim and permanent placements, and mental health and substance use disorder services to provide behavioral health services to unsheltered and sheltered PEH to meet their needs. Furthermore, in October 2023, the County adopted an Eviction Prevention initiative to help ensure residents are able to stay in their home.
“Although the County has continued to make progress on our homelessness crisis, there remain over 75,000 unhoused individuals, including 52,365 who are unsheltered,” said Chair Pro Tem Solis. “As the safety net for the people of Los Angeles County, we must continue working towards providing relief to our most vulnerable. By extending our Shelter Crisis Declaration, we will ensure the rapid mobilization of County resources to stand up homeless shelters and bring our unhoused neighbors indoors where they can access services and begin the path to permanent housing.
The approved motion extends an existing declaration of a shelter crisis within the County for another year from November 2nd, 2024 through November 1st, 2025. Given the complexity and magnitude of the homelessness crisis, the County continues to work across its departments to provide a multi-pronged approach to support interim and permanent housing solutions for those experiencing homelessness.
