{"id":37608,"date":"2021-07-13T18:15:40","date_gmt":"2021-07-14T01:15:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=37608"},"modified":"2021-07-13T18:15:40","modified_gmt":"2021-07-14T01:15:40","slug":"board-of-supervisors-approves-527-1-million-for-la-county-homeless-initiative-in-fy-2021-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=37608","title":{"rendered":"Board of Supervisors Approves $527.1 Million for LA County Homeless Initiative in FY 2021-2022"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved an unprecedented $527.1 million budget for the Los Angeles County Homeless Initiative in FY 2021-22.<\/p>\n

The Homeless Initiative is Los Angeles County\u2019s massive effort to expand and enhance services for people who are homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless, largely financed through Measure H. It is part of the vast safety net that the County provides to people experiencing homelessness, which also includes medical treatment at County public hospitals, direct benefits under the County’s General Relief program, and more.<\/p>\n

The Homeless Initiative includes $454.8 million raised through Measure H, \u00bc-cent sales tax approved by County voters in 2017 to pay for homeless prevention, street outreach, supportive services and employment, shelter, and housing. The remaining $72.3 million includes $14.8 million in federal stimulus funding, $29.4 million in state grants, and $28.1 million from other funding sources.<\/p>\n

\u201cAddressing homelessness requires a multi-faceted approach and understanding that every individual\u2019s housing journey is unique,\u201d shared Board Chair, Hilda L. Solis. \u201cThis year\u2019s budget reflects the County\u2019s continued efforts to address the root causes of homelessness and the implementation of preventive strategies to keep residents housed, especially as we emerge from a pandemic that disproportionately impacted low-income Black and Latinx residents.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOur commitment to ending our homelessness crisis requires sustained investments in immediate and long-term solutions,\u201d Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell added. \u201cThe COVID-19 pandemic has only worsened the disparities our unhoused residents face, which is why I am proud to support this unprecedented allocation of funding that will go towards evidence-based solutions and interventions that are needed more than ever before.\u201d<\/p>\n

“Every year, over the last four years, we have dramatically scaled up the housing and services\u00a0necessary to re-house those who are experiencing homelessness, and to end the inflow into homelessness caused by skyrocketing rents and evictions,\u201d said Supervisor Sheila Kuehl. \u201cI’m very happy to see us increase the funding going into these efforts for a fifth year. This crisis was decades in the making, and every year we are committed to making more progress in building the system that will solve it.”<\/p>\n

Supervisor Kathryn Barger added, \u201cAs we continue to address the homelessness crisis, it is crucial that we consider the needs of all the cities and regions throughout the County. I am pleased to see the recommended Measure H budget allocates $5 million in funding to six Councils of Governments and member cities to support their own localized efforts to prevent homelessness and provide support for their most vulnerable residents. We must continue to work collaboratively with our cities and regions toward our shared goal of ending homelessness.\u201d<\/p>\n

Investing in Proven Solutions<\/strong><\/p>\n

Increased public investment, particularly from Measure H, has fueled a tremendous growth in the County\u2019s homeless services system in recent years.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Since 2015, the system has doubled the number of people it can lift out of homelessness and into a permanent home every year. It has also tripled the number of people engaged by its street-based outreach teams. Compared to 2015, the system now has the capacity to prevent three times as many people from becoming homeless in the first place.<\/strong><\/p>\n

But while an average of 207 people exit homelessness every day in Los Angeles County, 227 more people fall into homelessness during the same period, largely due to economic factors, such as wages not keeping pace with rents.<\/p>\n

\u201cHomelessness is a deeply rooted and complex societal problem that was decades in the making and cannot be fixed overnight, but Los Angeles County is pulling out all the stops to alleviate the crisis on our streets,\u201d Homeless Initiative Interim Director Cheri Todoroff said. \u201cWith a $527.1 million budget for the Homeless Initiative, the Board of Supervisors is demonstrating its compassion and its continued commitment to ensuring all Los Angeles County residents have a safe place to call home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Among the highlights of the Homeless Initiative\u2019s $527.1 million budget:<\/p>\n