Contact: Christopher Yee, cyee@lahsa.org, 213-219-1417
Rehousing System Ends Homelessness For Thousands in First Half Of 2021
LOS ANGELES – Today, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) announced that the homeless rehousing system made 10,373 permanent housing placements in the first half of 2021.
Black Angelenos experiencing homelessness represented approximately 45% of the placements in the first six months of 2021, significantly out-pacing their representation in the Los Angeles Continuum of Care (34%). The same is true for females experiencing homelessness who made up 47% of 2021’s housing placements, compared to 32%.
“The Los Angeles region continues to receive an excellent return on its investment in our rehousing system. Despite the increased complications of the global pandemic, our system has continued to end homelessness for thousands of people,” said Heidi Marston, Executive Director of LAHSA. “However, we need to increase this momentum to end homelessness in our society. We can only do so if our community make a proportional investment in increasing the housing supply available to our unhoused neighbors.”
Los Angeles County’s lack of affordable housing is well documented. According to the California Housing Partnership’s 2021 Affordable Housing Needs Report, Los Angeles County needs 499,430 affordable homes to meet the current demand. The lack of affordable and permanent housing is a constraint on the homeless rehousing system’s ability to end homelessness for thousands of Angelenos across the county.
Despite the dearth of affordable units, LAHSA and its partners continue to look for ways to connect people experiencing homelessness to housing.
As part of the Biden Administration’s American Rescue Plan, the Los Angeles area received 6,800 emergency housing vouchers (EHVs). Those vouchers were distributed to 17 public housing authorities (PHAs) across Los Angeles County, including the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) and the Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA).
As of November 24, 2021, LAHSA and its nonprofit services providers have submitted 3,017 applications for EHVs to the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA), the City’s Public Housing Authority (PHA). HACLA has issued 339 vouchers. In addition, the Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA) received 1,746 EHV applications from LAHSA and its partners; LACDA has issued 631 vouchers. In total, 57 people have used EHVs to end their homelessness.
Earlier this year, LAHSA introduced its Universal Housing Application (UHA), a web portal that speeds up the housing application process by consolidating 15 applications into one easy-to-use digital system. A product of the LAHSA-led Housing Central Command, the UHA can shave up to 30 days off the application process that matches people experiencing homelessness with suitable permanent housing across Los Angeles County.