Report claims that Los Angeles needs tens of thousands of rentals for homeless

A report by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) identified L.A.’s gap in permanent and temporary housing options for the homeless and found that L.A. is still far from meeting the needs of its homeless population. The 2018 homeless count’s results won’t be ready until later this spring, but in the January 2017 homeless count there were an estimated 58,000 homeless people in L.A. County. The LAHSA report was released this February and claims that L.A. County needs over 22,000 new supportive housing units and 11,000 short-term rental vouchers to functionally end homelessness. The report states,

While there may be debate over the nuances of what housing type and population should receive particular resources, such debate exists within the general assumption that substantial progress will not be achieved without a significant increase in the county’s housing stock.

Apparently, most of the need is in permanent supportive housing, which generally comes with life-long rental subsidies and services like mental health care and case management. LAHSA estimates that the county requires about 21,275 new units for single men and women, over double the current inventory, and an additional 1,386 for families with children. LAHSA estimates that it needs another 1,281 “rapid rehousing” spots for families and 10,446 for individuals, which is short-term help with rent and helping people find a place to live who are considered more able to get back on their feet. Hopefully, the money collected from Measure H, a voter-approved 1/4-cent sales tax that began in October 1, will be used effectively to fill in these gaps.

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