Prevention is key to solving L.A.’s homelessness crisis
No easy solution, but a crucial step
Preventing homelessness is a crucial piece of the puzzle for solving this problem in Los Angeles. It is easier and less costly to keep someone from becoming homeless than it is to help them out of the trauma of homelessness and find them permanent housing.
A challenging task
No one wants to see more people forced into the pain of homelessness. And already there isn’t nearly enough housing for the estimated 75,000 homeless people in L.A. This remains true despite efforts by the county and the city of Los Angeles to help finance the construction or purchase of housing units for homeless individuals and families.
Funding is key
Keeping people in their homes is not as expensive as building or procuring homes for the unhoused, but prevention does require millions of dollars in funding. County officials have said prevention is key, but programs haven’t always gotten the funding they needed.
A challenge to funding
If homelessness prevention “is the last thing that is funded and the first thing that is cut when budgets get tight, we are not investing in prevention the way that we have to if we are going to end homelessness in Los Angeles and elsewhere,” said Adam Murray, the chief executive of the Inner City Law Center, a nonprofit firm on Skid Row that advocates for low-income and homeless individuals and families.
Services that make a difference
Among other services, the center helps people fight eviction proceedings. Having a lawyer dramatically increases the chances of a tenant either winning eviction proceedings or reaching a settlement with a landlord that allows the resident to stay in place.
A complex issue
But nearly half of people becoming homeless in California left a living arrangement where they were not the leaseholder, according to a recent study of homelessness in the state. So an eviction intervention couldn’t have directly helped them. And that underscores the challenges of homelessness prevention — finding the vulnerable people who are most at risk of homelessness, figuring out ways to direct them to prevention services (such as rental assistance) and then scaling up those services.
A solution from Santa Clara County
At a recent conference on homelessness prevention — organized by the California Policy Lab, a research institute at UCLA — agency chiefs, academics, researchers, foundation leaders and community advocates all presented ideas that had worked and hadn’t worked. (Murray was one of the panelists.)
Everyone agrees that a subsidy works. In Santa Clara County, people at risk of homelessness in 7,600 households received on average $7,000 in financial assistance. Two years later, the vast majority (93%) of those residents had avoided becoming homeless.
Finding the right people
But even where money is available for this purpose, the problem remains how to get the subsidies to those who most need them. People may not know an agency exists that can give them funding. One solution is to focus on people who go to health services or other social service offices and reach out to those who appear to be at high risk of losing their housing. Nearly every speaker at the conference noted that the two biggest risk factors are very low income and a previous experience with homelessness.
Identifying the vulnerable
Janey Rountree, executive director of the California Policy Lab at UCLA, helped develop metrics that identify users of L.A. County services who may be vulnerable to falling into homelessness. The county’s Homeless Prevention Unit uses the model, but the formula doesn’t find everyone.
“We have developed a predictive model,” says Rountree, “but you have to be in the database.”
A call for help in Chicago
In Chicago, you can call 311 to request short-term financial assistance for rent and utilities. Sounds great. But not everyone in desperate straits knows this assistance even exists. And even when they do and make the call, most never get beyond the initial couple of screenings over the phone.
Preparing for the future
A sizable portion of the funds from the Measure A sales tax that Los Angeles County voters approved in November will be set aside for homelessness prevention. Having a designated fund for prevention will be good and certainly rental assistance should be prioritized. But experts will still have to figure out the most effective methods for identifying the people who need it the most.
A proactive approach
In an effort to reach impoverished people who might lose their housing, that means targeting all the places they may go for services. That will involve healthcare providers, food banks, school administrators and others. People coming out of jails are susceptible to becoming homeless. So are youths transitioning out of foster care.
Think of it this way: It’s the equivalent of doing homeless outreach before people are homeless.
Conclusion
Prevention is key to solving L.A.’s homelessness crisis. While it’s a challenging task, it’s crucial to invest in programs that help individuals and families stay in their homes. By providing financial assistance, rental support, and other forms of aid, we can help prevent homelessness and keep our community safe and stable.
FAQs
Q: What is homelessness prevention?
A: Homelessness prevention is the process of identifying individuals or families at risk of becoming homeless and providing them with the necessary support and resources to help them stay in their homes.
Q: How can I get help with homelessness prevention?
A: You can contact the Inner City Law Center, a nonprofit firm that provides legal assistance to low-income and homeless individuals and families. You can also reach out to the California Policy Lab at UCLA, which offers a predictive model to identify users of L.A. County services who may be vulnerable to falling into homelessness.
Q: What is the most effective way to prevent homelessness?
A: Providing financial assistance, rental support, and other forms of aid to individuals and families at risk of becoming homeless is the most effective way to prevent homelessness.
