Compared to more than 150 major metro areas studied nationwide, LA County has a low level of public investment in housing and a high rate of unsheltered homelessness. The recently passed Measure A and newly created LACAHSA aim to change that.
LONG BEACH, CA—Today the leaders of LA County’s new affordable housing agency stood with the Homelessness Policy Research Institute to present a new report showing that metro areas with larger amounts of investment in public housing tend to have lower rates of homelessness.
The report shows that LA County has a relatively low concentration of federally subsidized public housing units compared to 150 other major metro areas in the United States. This may worsen LA’s comparably high rate of unsheltered homelessness. The new countywide affordable housing agency is focused on addressing that investment gap.
“The study proves the dire need for housing in LA County and with LACAHSA, we’re creating a countywide affordable housing strategy that will close the gap and ensure housing is within reach for everyone,” said Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson, Board Chair of the new Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency (LACAHSA). “Measure A represents more than funding for these efforts—it’s a mandate from voters who believe that addressing affordable housing and homelessness is a priority we can and must solve together.”
Through Measure A, LA County is primed to boost its publicly financed housing supply: 36% of funds will go to the Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency (LACAHSA). LACAHSA is modeled after similar initiatives in New York, San Francisco and Singapore that scale up housing production and preservation.
With representation from all 88 cities in the region, LACAHSA is primed to help prevent homelessness by preserving existing affordable housing and protecting renters at risk of homelessness. In addition, LA County will be able to build more housing faster by filling financial gaps for already-entitled affordable housing projects to start construction sooner.
“Unlike past countywide efforts to address homelessness, 36% of Measure A funds will be dedicated to housing, which will supercharge LACAHSA,” said Bellflower City Councilmember Victor Sanchez, LACAHSA Board Second Vice Chair. “This funding will allow us to achieve unprecedented milestones in Los Angeles County — producing more affordable housing, preserving affordable units, and protecting people to keep them from entering homelessness.”
LACAHSA will give small cities expert assistance and money to help them meet state housing requirements. The latest Regional Housing Needs Assessment calls for 341,000 units of affordable housing by 2029, but the current production rate would create only 25,000. LACAHSA will accelerate that pace, scaling up the development of more supportive housing communities that tackle a root cause of homelessness.
“This study suggests a potential link between the lack of federal government investment in LA’s housing supply and our high rate of unsheltered homelessness,” said Jared N. Schachner, Ph.D., USC Price School of Public Policy and lead author on the study. “In our research, LA stands out among U.S. metros for its very high concentration of unsheltered homelessness and its low concentration of traditional public housing units.”
The study also suggests that Housing Choice Vouchers, which individuals use to subsidize rent in privately-owned homes, may not be as effective in reducing unsheltered homelessness as other federal investments that directly increase the housing supply. This disparity may reflect a range of barriers to voucher use, including administrative burdens, a competitive housing market and limited participation among private landlords.
“LACAHSA is a game-changer years in the making and now with a vote of confidence from L.A. County voters,” said Tommy Newman, Vice President of Public Affairs at United Way of Greater Los Angeles. “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.“
United Way’s affordable housing initiatives help raise philanthropic support to solve LA’s housing and homelessness crisis.
The report was released today at Century Villages at Cabrillo, a community of 1,000 affordable homes on previously underutilized federal land.
“Century Villages provides a safe place to call home and fosters connection between neighbors. Here, together we combat the isolation of homelessness and return dignity to people who have lived on the edge for far too long,” Jamies Shuford, Century Villages resident with lived experience of homelessness. “Having reached a level of stability in my life, it’s my hope to be able to pull others out of that cycle.”
Century Villages at Cabrillo is a supportive housing community that thousands of Long Beach residents who previously experienced homelessness call home. Many of the residents at Century Villages are living with mental health conditions, overcoming substance abuse, or leaving behind abusive relationships. On the site, Century Oasis Residential Services provides life-changing services to ensure that residents and their families can remain housed, live independently, and thrive. Services include on-site crisis intervention, case management, health and wellness programs, behavioral health support, youth programs, and parenting support.
The L.A. County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency (LACAHSA) was created to make housing more affordable, help people stay in their homes, and increase housing options for people experiencing homelessness. It is a regional organization focused on all of L.A. County and by having leaders from across the county, and a single CEO, it is accountable enough to cut through red tape so we can do more than ever before.
Established with support from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and the Home For Good Funders Collaborative, the USC Homelessness Policy Research Institute (HPRI) is a collaborative of over 100 researchers, policymakers, service providers and experts with lived experience of homelessness that accelerates equitable, culturally informed solutions to homelessness in LA County by advancing knowledge and fostering transformational partnerships between research, policy and practice.
United Way of Greater Los Angeles is a nonprofit organization fighting to end poverty by preparing students for high school graduation, college, and the workforce; housing our homeless neighbors; and guiding hard-working families towards economic mobility. United Way identifies the root causes of poverty and works strategically to solve them by building alliances across all sectors, funding targeted programs and advocating for change.
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