More people were moved into permanent and interim housing during the 2023-24 fiscal year, signifying improved performance for the county’s rehousing system, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority announced Wednesday.
According to the agency, data showed a 45% increase in homeless people moving from the street to permanent housing, a 32% increase for temporary housing and a 29% increase of homeless people moving from temporary to permanent housing.
The improvements reflect a recent announcement from U.S. Housing and Urban Development, which noted that homelessness increased by 18% nationwide, but Los Angeles was among a few jurisdictions that experienced a decrease.
“This data shows that our changes to LAHSA and the rehousing system are working,” Va Lecia Adams Kellum, CEO of LAHSA, said in a statement. “We are getting more people off the street and into a permanent home.”
LAHSA cited new initiatives for the improved numbers. In 2023, the agency implemented its encampment resolution efforts to address tents and other makeshift housing through Mayor Karen Bass’ Inside Safe initiative and the county’s Pathway Home program.
Additionally, LAHSA established a dedicated group called the Active System Management Strike Team to address bottlenecks in the rehousing system. The agency also touted its batch matching approach and a master leasing initiative.
Batch matching allows the agency to identify multiple individuals for supportive housing through a universal housing application. According to the agency, once someone moves into supportive housing, other applicants are eligible the next time there are building openings in the same area.
Through master leasing, LAHSA leases entire apartment buildings, which can save time for people to enter housing in just a few weeks compared to months.
Among other improvements, the agency has updated its data dashboards for better tracking of beds.
“The new LAHSA is about change, better data, faster payments, and creating the innovations and partnerships that get results,” Adams Kellum said. “We are on the right path to improving the system and bringing more people home in L.A. County.”
In November 2024, the County Board of Supervisors approved a motion to explore the creation of a department to centralize homeless services. The motion came in response to a county Auditor-Controller Department report that cited several concerns about LAHSA’s management of homeless funding.
LAHSA leadership contended that several issues identified in the report were attributed to past practices during the coronavirus pandemic, much of which has changed.
Similarly, the Los Angeles City Council is also exploring the creation of a Homelessness Department citing long-standing concerns related to transparency.