Chronic Homelessness Initiative Evaluation
Scaling Up the Resources
During 2018, the Los Angeles community explored new ways to develop permanent supportive housing (PSH) at a faster pace and to expand the use of housing subsidies in the private rental market. Local and state policymakers worked on tools to remove obstacles within the development process and prevent discrimination in the rental market.
As a result of these efforts, PSH development is moving forward at a faster pace than the Los Angeles community has seen traditionally. As the community scales its efforts to create more affordable housing at a faster pace and to offer PSH residents case management services at the needed level of intensity, housing developers, homeless service providers, and administrators of housing and service programs face capacity issues. Public agencies and funders have come together to support capacity building at these entities by offering these entities flexible funding, technical assistance and training opportunities, as well as staff recruiting services.
2018 Scaling Up the Resources Progress
Goal: Leverage development funding to create additional PSH inventory.2018 Status: Though the community is making progress in addressing its housing gaps, there is still a gap of more than 20,000 PSH units based on the 2018 countywide gaps analysis.
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NEEDS ATTENTIONPSH Units
(click here) Goal: Secure as many new subsidies, subsidized units, and service commitments as needed to meet the defined goal.2018 Status: In FY 2017–2018, DHS set a goal of placing 2,500 people into PSH using both federal and local rental subsidies accompanied by supportive services. In FY 2018–2019, DHS set a goal of 2,950. Each year's goal was surpassed, placing over 6,000 people into PSH.
ON TRACKService Commitments
(click here)2017 Scaling Up the Resources Progress
During 2017, departments within Los Angeles City and County, along with the community’s homeless service providers, were actively engaged in efforts to scale up the community’s response to chronic homelessness. The community has aligned around a housing and service gap analysis that has been released annually for the past two years. With the development of expenditure plans for Proposition HHH and Measure H and the design and implementation of new and expanded programs, stakeholders are working to improve the functionality of PSH development mechanisms and supportive services models. These increased efforts are necessary but are not yet proving to be adequate. In February 2018, LAHSA released an updated Countywide homeless housing gaps analysis indicating that the PSH housing gap for individuals had increased from 14,708 units—as reported in LAHSA’s 2016 housing gap analysis—to 21,275 units.19 Accelerating PSH development and bringing more voucher and service resources online rapidly will be a critical focus for the next two years.
For more information about the activities that occurred in 2017, visit the 2018 Annual Report.
2016 Scaling Up the Resources Progress
In 2016, the population of people experiencing chronic homelessness in Los Angeles was larger than in past years. In order to see dramatic reductions in this population, significantly more permanent supportive housing resources are needed to house those already chronically homeless as well as those at-risk of chronic homelessness. Over the next ten years, Proposition HHH, Measure H, No Place Like Home, and other new public funding streams give LA the opportunity to significantly scale up housing development and supportive services. This new development alone will not likely meet the need for PSH, nor meet it quickly enough. Providers will need to use federal and locally-funded subsidies to rent housing in the private market.
During 2016, the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) and the Housing Authority of the County of Los Angeles (HACoLA) stepped up efforts to encourage landlords to make units available for PSH. Under the implementation of the City and County’s strategic plans, each PHA has implemented a Homeless Incentive Program, which provides incentive payments to private landlords who rent units to homeless individuals who are voucher holders. In addition, the County Department of Health Services’ Flexible Housing Subsidy Pool continues to expand local funding for housing subsidies. Tenant-based housing commitments allow the community to quickly increase the pace of placements, although housing providers are hampered by a shortage of modestly priced rental housing across the region.
For more information about the activities that occurred in 2016, visit the 2017 Annual Report.
