Collaboratively formulated with the neighboring community, an action strategy will swiftly expand a $60 million state subsidy to Los Angeles County’s Department of Health Services (DHS) that will relocate over fifty percent of the destitute populace in Skid Row – approximately 2,500 individuals – into residential accommodations and furnish them with necessary amenities within the upcoming three years.
The Housing Authority and the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) have already leveraged and committed $280 million in funding from the City and County of Los Angeles to supplement the Action Plan for the Skid Row area. This funding will serve as a jumpstart for the implementation of various elements of the plan. The Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency (BCSH), as part of the Resolution Encampment grants, will provide a new infusion of funds.
The Action Plan for Skid Row was developed by the Department of Health and Human Services in collaboration with community members, business owners, and other stakeholders to comprehensively address the need for substance abuse treatment services, permanent and temporary behavioral health housing, and more.
This is the densest concentration of homeless people in the county. According to the Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count 2022, Skid Row has a population of 4,400 individuals experiencing homelessness, with 2,695 of them being unsheltered. Despite spanning only 4 square miles.
About 350 of those interim housing beds will include enriched services for the individuals who need the most complex health and behavioral health support. LAHSA, the City of Los Angeles, and the County of Los Angeles will immediately provide hundreds of new interim housing beds in multiple motels and hotels near Skid Row and other locations. This is part of the fast-tracked Action Plan to address the housing needs in Skid Row and surrounding areas.
The County will also establish other resources and connections to prioritize and temporary accommodation beds that will be available for individuals to utilize clinical services in Skid Row’s “Safe Landing” facility, which will operate around the clock.
Approximately 3,000 individuals are anticipated to receive assistance through outreach endeavors. Roughly 2,000 individuals are scheduled to be placed in permanent residences. The temporary housing accommodations are estimated to cater to around 2,500 individuals over a three-year period.
EMERGENCY RESPONSE.
The County will also leverage its enhanced powers under the state-declared emergency to quickly staff up outreach teams and intensify case management services. Additionally, more housing, contracting, and procurement in the navigation and tape red cut areas will be implemented.
By doing so, the County can help expedite and enhance efforts to transition residents from temporary housing to permanent housing and encampments in Skid Row.
The County’s plans can also provide supportive services, including more enrollment benefits and treatment for substance use disorder, as well as mental and physical healthcare.
COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIP.
I am looking forward to continuing to work with the Department of Health and Housing Services in Los Angeles City to support our most vulnerable residents and quickly bring hundreds of people indoors to help them receive the care and housing they deserve. This action is the first step towards implementing the Skid Row Action Plan, which is at the heart of addressing the overdose crisis and serving our Skid Row community. I am thrilled to be championing this effort with local stakeholders and partners. I want to thank Secretary Lourdes Ramírez Castro of BCSH and Governor Gavin Newsom for recognizing the importance of issuing these funds to serve our Skid Row community. County Supervisor Hilda Solis said, “I thank Solis Hilda Supervisor County.”
Mayor Karen Bass expressed her gratitude to Secretary Ramírez Castro and Governor Newsom for joining us in taking action on this important issue. We are facing a crisis in our city, with Skid Row being the historic epicenter. We want to show progress on this issue, but it is crucial for us to work together and secure funding that will be instrumental in providing critical interim housing for the residents of Skid Row. As a result, we will continue to take steps to bring Angelenos inside and implement the Safe Inside program. We have seen tangible and real results from the collaboration at every level of government.
County Chief Executive Officer, Fesia Davenport, stated, “We will fully utilize our expedited authority under the local County’s emergency funds to alleviate the heavy toll of human misery in the Skid Row area and expand supportive services and programs.” “We are grateful for the opportunity to team up with our partners in addressing the crisis at hand, including the City of Los Angeles, the State of California, and LAHSA. This news is a welcome development for Los Angeles County.”
The City of Los Angeles is including $40 million and the County is donating $125 million towards the endeavor, in addition to the state’s $60 million ERF grant. Meanwhile, approximately $55 million in vouchers will be utilized from local public housing authorities.
In Skid Row, the Every Woman Housed initiative, specially created to put an end to homelessness for women and families, acquired a $15 million ERF grant from LAHSA in the previous year. Moreover, the Skid Row Action Plan will utilize $60 million in LAHSA resources.
SKID ROW.
The requirements of the unhoused community in Skid Row are severe, with approximately 1,900 individuals enduring persistent homelessness.
13% of individuals experiencing homelessness in Skid Row reported having a developmental disability, while 25% reported having a physical disability. Additionally, 33% reported struggling with a substance use disorder, and 36% reported having a serious mental illness.
Meanwhile, 38% reported having encountered domestic abuse or intimate partner violence.
Skid Row additionally possesses the highest quantity and ratio of overdose fatalities in the County.
Among the homeless population in Skid Row, 56% are identified as Black/African American, whereas 24% are identified as Hispanic/Latinx, thus highlighting the unequal representation of people of color.