Last week, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to approve a motion introduced by Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Holly J. Mitchell that brings heightened attention and focus on transitional age youth and seniors experiencing homelessness in the County.

The motion was passed following Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority’s (LAHSA) completion of its annual Youth Count, which took place this year from Jan. 22-31.

Estimates from last year’s homelessness census found that youth homelessness increased by 40% from 2022 to 2023, identifying 3,894 youth living on the streets. There has also been a notable 11% increase in the number of seniors experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County.

“Solving homelessness takes focus and precision,” said Barger, whose Fifth District includes the Santa Clarita Valley. “We need our County departments to holistically take a hard look at the portfolio of programs designed for Transitional Age Youth and seniors – two of our most vulnerable populations – to evaluate what’s working and develop a corresponding action plan that’ll scale up our homeless prevention work for both ends of the human life cycle. We need tailored, not one-size-fits-all, approaches.”

“It is deeply troubling to see the alarming levels of homelessness among our Transitional Age Youth and older adults, who have already endured systemic challenges,” said Mitchell. “As we expand the County’s Pathway Home initiative, it’s important that we continue to invest in solutions that help prevent our most vulnerable populations from experiencing homelessness.”

The motion directs the Department of Children and Family Services, the Department of Aging and Disabilities, among other relevant County departments and agencies, to report back their findings and an action plan within 120 days.