LA County pledges support for city’s homelessness emergency

Los Angeles County has jumped onto the homeless emergency bandwagon.

In a move that was largely symbolic, the county’s Board of Supervisors unanimously voted Tuesday to join the state of emergency on homelessness declared by newly elected Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, LAist reported.

At the same time, there were signs of concern over robbing resources from some of the other 87 cities in the county to help the city of Los Angeles.

In L.A. County, cities are responsible for building housing in their jurisdictions, while the county is responsible for providing social services, including mental health and substance abuse services. In unincorporated areas, the county must do both.

“I know my colleagues and I have heard from other cities who are a little bit concerned that this might mean taking away resources from them,” Supervisor Janice Hahn said before Bass addressed the board. “But I am going to push back a little bit on that idea.”

The Los Angeles emergency homeless plan aims to move thousands of unhoused residents into motels and to fast-track approvals for homeless shelters and 100-percent affordable housing. The city aims to approve them in 30 to 60 days, instead of months or years.

The county board’s motion simply directed county staff to work with the City of L.A.

It replaced an earlier version with language that said the county would look at “the possibility of redirecting county staff to align with the city’s declaration of emergency,” referring to L.A.

It was removed at the request of Supervisors Hahn and Kathryn Barger, who referred to a report from the county’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Homelessness. Barger also said it was important to pay attention to the need for affordable housing in unincorporated parts of the county.

“We were able to hear from all 88 cities in the region and there was no doubt that many view homelessness which requires an emergency-like response,” Barger said, adding that “it’s important to continue a ‘collaboration supporting our cities’ daily efforts.”

Hahn pointed out that 56 percent of the county’s estimated 69,000 homeless people live in Los Angeles, and she challenged other cities in her district to “step up to the plate.”

In the past, the city and the county disagreed on how to solve homelessness in Skid Row and were jointly sued by the L.A. Alliance for Human Rights, according to the Daily News. In September, the county agreed to spend $236 million on housing and services for the homeless.

Hahn’s motion orders each of the county departments to appoint an executive to attend City of L.A. meetings for the emergency program, known as Inside Safe, by Jan. 15.

By Jan. 31, the county will establish liaisons to work with city outreach teams, connecting homeless people to county services. By Feb. 15, the county will create teams to work with the city providing new emergency housing and to connect those in need with county services.

The supervisors appointed county CEO Fesia Davenport as the second deputy incident commander in the City of L.A.’s Incident Command, a group that will make decisions during the emergency, much like after a flood or earthquake.

Davenport said the county will follow recommendations from its Blue Ribbon Commission on Homelessness but also will “double down on our commitment to be in closer partnership with the City of Los Angeles.”

As part of the motion, if any of the 88 cities in L.A. County declare a homeless emergency and move toward housing the homeless, they can ask for help from the county’s service departments.

Supervisor Holly Mitchell said the county’s Department of Mental Health is stretched thin and may have trouble providing more onsite services, as the department has a 25 percent employee vacancy rate.

Money for new housing is available through the county’s Measure H, passed by voters in 2017, which could raise $355 million a year through 2027.

Los Angeles voters passed Measure HHH in 2016, enabling $1.2 billion in bonds for permanent or temporary housing. In November, L.A. voters approved Proposition ULA, a tax on valuable properties expected to raise $600 million to $1.1 billion a year for affordable housing and tenant assistance programs.

— Dana Bartholomew

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