The number of Los Angeles residents experiencing chronic homelessness continues to grow even after housing over 10,000 individuals in the past three years. The flow of individuals into chronic homelessness is unabated—the pathways have not been closed. Public assistance programs are Los Angeles’s primary interface with individuals experiencing homelessness. Roughly a quarter of LA County’s population receives some form of public assistance, including those who are homeless or who are at risk of homelessness. Public assistance programs can be a catalyst for connecting at-risk and homeless recipients with crucial services and reducing the massive public costs associated with chronic homelessness. The vital role is to identify tripwire events among all recipients, particularly children and transition-age youth, and quickly connect at-risk individuals with needed employment, behavioral health and housing services provided by other organizations. Read more.
All Alone: Antecedents of Chronic Homelessness
Economic Roundtable
Year: 2015