7,400 LA Homeless Now In Permanent Housing Through Measure H, Officials Say

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – More than 7,400 homeless people in Los Angeles County have attained permanent housing thanks to Measure H, according to a report released Friday.

About 7,448 people are in permanent housing since Measure H began in July 2017, according to numbers from the L.A. County Homeless Initiative. Of those, 2,200 got into permanent housing in the past three months.

Another 13,524 people are in interim or bridge housing, which is also funded by Measure H, the LACHI reports.L.A. County voters passed Measure H in March 2017. It increased the sales tax by a quarter-cent in order to generate an estimated $355 million annually for 10 years to fund a variety of programs to combat homelessness.

Last month, L.A. County launched a new online platform through which members of the public can notify authorities regarding specific homeless people in their neighborhood who need immediate help. The portal, known as LA-HOP, allows residents to fill out a quick outreach form requesting help for “vulnerable residents living on the street.” It is also funded by Measure H.

The L.A. Homeless Services Authority’s annual count in January found 52,765 homeless living in the county, marking a 4 percent drop from the year before. This came after a 23 percent jump the year before.

 “When voters approved Measure H, they trusted us to deliver tangible results,” said L.A. County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl in a statement. “These first-year numbers are very encouraging. While we still have a lot of work ahead, providing permanent housing for 7,448 people experiencing homelessness and temporary housing for 13,524 more is a great start, and we will continue to build on it.”

Article Date: 
Friday, August 17, 2018