La Placita Homeless Outreach Project

About the Program

Category: Human Services (Best in Category)

Year: 2011

La Placita Homeless Outreach Project was started in its present configuration in July, 2010 by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. The project was developed as a means of proactively addressing the medical, behavioral health, housing and social service needs of a large, long-standing encampment of elderly homeless individuals. La Placita Homeless outreach Project is a multi-agency collaboration between the County of Los Angeles, the faith-based community and private/non-profit social service agencies. Existing resources are used to provide emergency shelter, permanent housing, health care, mental health services, substance abuse services, emergency services, cash aid, transportation, and specialty care for older adults in an expedited, coordinated fashion. Services are provided at the encampment site, La Placita Church. A Housing First approach is used with intensive case management to support clients in their transition from homelessness to housing. The success of the project involves: recognizing and addressing the challenges of working with the chronically homeless; recognizing and addressing the challenges of working with a largely older adult population; and respecting the sense of community and strong bond that members of this locale feel toward each other, and with the Church as a result of the spiritual/religious, historical, cultural, and social ties.