New USC Study Highlights the Impact of Publicly Financed Housing on Homelessness Rates

We were proud to stand alongside Board members of the Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency (LACAHSA) and neighbors of Long Beach’s Century Villages at Cabrillo community housing for the release of a new study by the USC Homelessness Policy Research Institute (HPRI). The report, funded in part by United Way of Greater Los Angeles and the Slovin Family Foundation, revealed a significant correlation between publicly financed housing levels and reduced homelessness rates across metropolitan areas nationwide, including Los Angeles.

After examining over 150 major metro areas across the United States and additional internal metro areas, the study found that regions making substantial public investments in housing experienced significantly lower rates of unsheltered homelessness. This research confirms public housing as a vital tool in addressing homelessness and ensuring housing security.

“We see it with our own eyes, and this report couldn’t be more clear: we need massive public investments in housing—the kind of transformation Measure A will deliver,” said Tommy Newman, Vice President of Public Affairs at United Way of Greater Los Angeles.

Through Measure A, L.A. County will boost its publicly financed housing supply: 36% of funds will go to LACAHSA, the new housing agency modeled after successful initiatives in New York, San Francisco, and Singapore that scale up housing production and preservation.

“All this report is trying to say is that when we invest in housing, we invest in homelessness prevention, we invest in healthy communities, we invest in a better future for Long Beach and for Los Angeles County,” said Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson, Board Chair of LACAHSA.

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“The place we’re standing right here is concrete proof that investments in housing make an impact on homelessness. We’re in one of the lowest crime precincts in our entire city, at Century Villages Cabrillo—a transformational development making meaningful differences in our neighbors’ lives. As we discuss data, metrics, and statistics in this report, let’s remember the humanity of what we’re discussing. Every unit we build, every room represents a person, a story, a family that no longer has to sleep on the street,” Richardson said.

Jamies Shuford represents one of those stories. After years of living on the streets of Skid Row, a permanent housing opportunity at Century Villages transformed his life.

“One day there were mental health workers down in Skid Row. They told me about a new apartment complex coming up in Long Beach. About 2,000 people were waiting for 80 units that day. I was one of the lucky ones, and since then my life changed forever,” Shuford said. He’s now dedicated to advocating for unhoused people to find permanent housing.

“When I look back, I think about my friends who are still out there, homeless, so I make it my business to return as an inspiration to them, to motivate them—we can never give up on our homeless neighbors! There’s hope in them, and these measures will make this hope come alive for them.”

The study’s findings serve as a call to action for local governments, policymakers, and community organizations to collaborate and invest in housing solutions that benefit every community. LACAHSA offers a comprehensive approach to prevent and tackle the housing crisis, not as a city-by-city problem but with a regional approach. With increased public-funded housing, we can create a future where homelessness becomes rare, brief, and non-recurring.

Check out some local media coverage of the report’s release on NBC4 and ABC7.

Learn more about our Homelessness & Housing initiatives here.

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