Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger announced today that she has allocated $2.3M from her discretionary funds to increase homeless outreach services across the Fifth District communities she represents.
The services will be provided by the Sheriff’s Department Homeless Outreach Services Team (HOST) and Los Angeles Homeless Service Authority (LAHSA) Homeless Engagement Team (HET) professionals who specialize in engaging people experiencing homelessness.
“Lifting people out of homelessness requires both expertise and perseverance,” stated Supervisor Kathryn Barger. “I’ve heard loud and clear from my constituents that more needs to be done to address homelessness in their communities. These funds will procure the services of additional deputies and outreach professionals who know how to compassionately engage people experiencing homelessness. Their model and approach works.”
With this funding, four new outreach teams will offer services exclusively in the Fifth Supervisorial District, with a special focus on the Antelope Valley, Santa Clarita Valley, portions of the San Fernando Valley, and the San Gabriel Valley. A fourth team will rove between these regions, lending additional support wherever it is needed.
The outreach efforts are performed by professionals from HET and HOST deputies trained in crisis stabilization and intervention. Their daily missions proactively seek people experiencing homelessness, build relationships with those individuals, and work to connect them to services and housing.