LOS ANGELES – Supervisor Kathryn Barger has introduced a motion, co-authored by Supervisor Hilda Solis, that if approved by the Board of Supervisors, will ask for an analysis of the current structure and function of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA). The results will then be reported to the Board in 60 days along with recommendations for proposed changes that may improve the governance structure, performance, accountability and transparency of LAHSA.
“We continue to closely examine every element at play in homelessness — including access to mental health services, substance abuse treatment, urgent housing and available resources. At the same time, we must also consider how we can improve LAHSA as a joint agency to better reflect the changing needs and dynamics of the homeless crisis,” said Supervisor Barger. “I remain committed to better serving the individuals suffering on our streets and the neighborhoods across the County who are impacted by this crisis and I will continue to explore every way that we can more effectively deliver services and resources.”
Supervisor Barger’s proposed motion acknowledges that the current overall homelessness response often creates competing priorities, which can inhibit collaboration and lead to the underutilization of resources intended to serve vulnerable homeless individuals. The Los Angeles City Council introduced a similar motion in January to review LAHSA’s governance structure. Next week’s action will direct County Departments to work in partnership with the City and LAHSA to ensure that collective efforts to combat homelessness are as effective as possible.
“As we keep developing innovative and creative approaches to combat homelessness, we must periodically review how we are helping our unsheltered neighbors. It is the only way to ensure that we are efficiently maximizing our resources. The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) was established nearly three decades ago, and since then voters in the County of Los Angeles passed Measure H, infusing hundreds of millions of dollars into our homeless services delivery system every year,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis, the motion’s co-author. “Now that LAHSA’s budget has more than tripled, its operational structure merits a thoughtful, careful analysis. Moreover, I am concerned that there are vacancies in our affordable housing units that are not being filled, and this situation also deserves a thorough review and immediate attention given we are in the midst of a housing crisis. In order to effectively combat our region’s homelessness crisis, we need to examine and assess whether our system of support is as efficient and responsive as humanly possible. My singular goal is to make sure that we are doing all that we can to lift our unsheltered brothers and sisters out of despair and place them in homes where they can heal and be made whole.”
This motion was read-in to the Board of Supervisors yesterday on the heels of a presentation by the Chief Executive Office, the Los Angeles Community Development Authority, Regional Planning and LAHSA in response to Supervisor Barger’s request to move forward with an Urgent Housing Initiative to help immediately address the homeless crisis. Much of the discussion centered around regulatory barriers such as entitlement and permit procedures, as well as easily accessible data for providers to connect individuals to available services and housing.
The motion also asks for a report back in 14 days to address any hurdles to placing individuals in available units to ensure all units are filled as quickly as possible.