Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas
[Supv. Ridley-Thomas] – On a motion by Supervisors Mark Ridley-Thomas and Michael Antonovich, the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved investing $15 million on programs to rapidly rehouse the homeless and to prevent families and individuals from becoming homeless.
The money would come out of Los Angeles County’s Homeless Prevention Initiative (HPI) fund, which started with $50 million at the beginning of this fiscal year and recently grew by another $51 million.
“With the harsh winter months approaching, and predictions of a severe El Nino season, there is a sense of urgency and a moral imperative to act now,” Supervisor Ridley-Thomas said during Tuesday’s board meeting.
In Los Angeles County, an estimated 44,000 men, women and children are homeless on any given night, sleeping on the streets or in vehicles, shelters and transitional housing programs. That’s 12 percent more than in 2013 – a dynamic and deepening crisis.
The Board is still weighing how to allocate the new $51 million infusion to the Homeless Prevention Initiative fund. Throughout October and November, the County is holding 18 summits among public and private stakeholders to develop a comprehensive strategy for addressing the homeless crisis, and a report is due in February.
Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich
Supervisors Ridley-Thomas and Antonovich, however, believe the Board has a moral responsibility to act sooner rather than later to invest in proven intervention practices and fill known budget gaps in existing crisis response systems for the homeless. For instance, a major source of funds for the rapid rehousing of homeless families with kids under age 6 will be exhausted in March.
“The funding recommendations in this motion would build on existing successful initiatives and allow the County to make an immediate impact while the strategic planning around homelessness occurs,” Supervisor Ridley-Thomas said.
The motion sets aside:
* 10 million for rapid rehousing of single adults who are not chronically homeless;
* $3 million for rapid rehousing of homeless families with children;
* $2 million to provide assistance to families on the brink of homelessness so that they can get back on their feet and not end up on the streets.
The motion also called for identifying continuous federal, state and other funds that could be used to pay for ongoing services in permanent supportive housing projects.
Supervisors Ridley-Thomas and Antonovich said in their motion, “These strategies have been proven to prevent and end homelessness and would allow the County to make a more immediate and substantive impact in areas with the highest need, while the (County) CEO completes the strategic planning process to address these issues.”
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6 Comments
Homelessness has been a crisis for a long time and it takes rain to make you guys wake up
The SCV winter shelter and the entity that eventually became Bridge to Home arose in response to a predicted El Nino winter in 1997. That first year it became obvious that Santa Clarita has a sizeable homeless population and that there’s a need for a permanent shelter in the community. 18 years later we are still operating a shelter only in the winter months in temporary quarters, with no kitchen facilities, porta potties, and a shower trailer. It’s high time the city of Santa Clarita and the county teamed up to provide a permanent, year-round shelter for Santa Clarita’s homeless population. Perhaps we might even get running water that isn’t provided by El Nino?
Homelessness has not been a crisis for a long time; t’s never been a ‘crisis’ except for maybe during the Great Depression. Notice how 10 million dollars is going to the single adult, read ‘working age person who doesn’t want to take care of themselves’. There are very few actual homeless people in real need of assistance. The overwhelming majority are drug addicts and thieves who are a serious drain on this economy and now we are going to turn around and dump more money on them. I would love to see a study of how many people really become productive and permanently houses from these silly socialist style programs.
Any update on our local homeless shelter?
They were not sure it would be open tomorrow or not.
Tessa, oh please…..it’s high time you grow up from your Utopian world of Bambi and the animals having tea parties in the forest. The homeless degenerates who unfortunately squat here in our lovely city are disease infested, thieving drug addicts who pillage from the hard working citizens and business owners to fuel their addiction. And you want to provide free housing for them to make their stay here more comfortable?!?! Wow. Why don’t you put one of them up in your home for the winter? Exactly.
Money well spent! Hopefully these important services can continue past El Nino.