Housing Location for Angelenos Experiencing Homelessness

Housing and Homelessness

County of Los Angeles

Expand existing project, program, or initiative

More people than ever are falling into homelessness in Los Angeles. A severe shortage of affordable housing combined with rising inflation, COVID-19, and decades of systemic racism and disinvestment in our social safety net have left 69,144 people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County on any given night. The fair market rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Los Angeles is $1,747. To afford this rent and utilities, a renter earning minimum wage would need to work nearly three full-time jobs. What limited affordable housing is available to low-income people is often inaccessible for people experiencing homelessness. Things outside of prospective tenants' control like immigration status, mental health needs, eviction history, level of income, and whether they hold a voucher often take them out of the running for renting an apartment.

Combined with other strategies, LAFH's Housing Location team helps LA property owners open their doors, minds, and hearts to people experiencing homelessness to increase the number of immediately available housing options for the community. With this support, LAFH will be able to expand our Housing Location efforts and secure new units for at least 1,000 unhoused people. Our team travels around Los Angeles to find affordable vacancies and connect with landlords unwilling to rent to unhoused Angelenos. While many believe in our mission, their bottom line is their bottom dollar. LAFH encourages landlords to accept unhoused tenants with a one-time incentive at move-in, through which each barrier overlooked by a landlord such as credit score or criminal background corresponds to a dollar value, up to a cap. With this approach, we have successfully removed roadblocks for people experiencing homelessness, made more affordable housing available, and helped destigmatize homelessness for the broader community. LAFH Housing Locators thoroughly consider tenant and landlord fit to ensure success for our participants. An immediate inspection of each unit is conducted for quality, and we refuse environments of undue scrutinization or discomfort. In order to ensure participants thrive in their apartments, each works with an LAFH Housing Stabilizer after move-in, so that they can continue accessing the support and resources they need even after they are housed.

Due to negative preconceptions, many property owners refuse to rent to the people who are most in need of housing. LAFH will connect with property owners-from "mom-and-pop" landlords to larger property management companies-to build trust, provide education, and make Los Angeles County a more hospitable place for renters experiencing homelessness. We will reduce barriers to housing for 1,000 of our most vulnerable neighbors, and we will change the landscape for thousands more. In the region where LAFH predominantly operates, Service Planning Area (SPA) 2 (the San Fernando Valley and parts of Burbank and Glendale), LAFH is a leader in both permanent housing placements and housing retention-97% of our participants retain their housing and stability after two years. As a leader in the region, we share our approach with partners, and our successes reverberate. Beyond SPA 2, our Housing Locators make more housing accessible for tenants throughout the county, from Palmdale to Long Beach.

With over 40 years of expertise, LAFH is a leading homeless service provider in Los Angeles. In 2019, former mayor Eric Garcetti recognized LAFH as the "model for other housing providers." Last year we helped over 2,606 move into permanent housing. We measure our impact through data such as improvements in employment, housing retention, mental health, and other outcomes, as well as feedback from participant surveys and ongoing dialogue with case managers. In the first six months of 2023, our Housing Location team facilitated 456 successful move-ins. This includes finding 456 affordable apartments for participants, coordinating with landlords, verifying documentation, conducting inspections within 2-3 business days, ordering furniture, and providing a warm hand-off to LAFH Housing Stabilizers to ease participants' transition into housing. With a 97% housing retention rate, this proven strategy has helped house more Angelenos and ensures our participants thrive in their new homes.