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Pilot Program will
Provide Permanent Housing Opportunities for the Homeless
A pilot program
has been approved by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
that is designed to create permanent housing opportunities for
dozens of homeless individuals. This new “Access to Health and
Housing” pilot program was the proposal of Supervisor Don Knabe and
utilizes $1.5 million of the $80 million in funding for Countywide
homeless prevention initiatives that was approved by the Board of
Supervisors earlier this year.
The primary goal of the program is to dramatically improve discharge
policies for homeless men and women who seek care at County
hospitals by connecting them with permanent housing opportunities.
Upon leaving County hospitals, homeless individuals will be provided
with Section 8 housing vouchers, as well as supportive services
designed to help them successfully remain in housing.
The pilot program is designed to place up to 100 homeless
individuals into Section 8 housing. The Housing Authority of Los
Angeles County and the Los Angeles City Housing Authority each set
aside 50 of their Section 8 vouchers for the program.
Because Section 8 vouchers typically take at least one month to
provide housing once they are issued and processed, the pilot
program also includes funding for temporary housing. Almost
one-third of the $1.5 million set-aside will be used to pay for
temporary housing for participants during the 30 to 60 days it
usually takes for Section 8 vouchers to become active. The result is
that participants in the pilot program will not have to remain
homeless while waiting for their permanent housing placement.
“This is an incredible opportunity to give housing to the homeless.
Before approval of this program, we had virtually no way to ensure
that homeless men and women leaving our hospitals would receive safe
housing or appropriate care,” said Supervisor Knabe. “I am grateful
to the City of Los Angeles for their help with my proposal and I
look forward to hearing the results of this pilot program.”
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