The South County Family Homeless Initiative Program

About the Program

Category: Human Services (Best in Category)

Year: 2018

The Housing Authority of the County of Los Angeles (HACoLA) has historically given admission priority to homeless families, veterans, and victims of domestic violence seeking placement in public housing. On July 1, 2016, HACoLA’s Public Housing Program implemented a new Homeless Initiative as an additional means of addressing the Los Angeles County homeless crisis. As units at the South Scattered Sites (SSS) Family Public Housing Developments become available, they are offered to a homeless family first. HACoLA entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) to provide homeless referrals to HACoLA. As of February 22, 2018, 28 homeless families, totaling 117 household members, have been housed into subsidized units. Once housed, homeless families are provided with a wide variety of supportive services, including assistance with rental and security deposit payments, obtaining basic furnishings for their new units, job placement and advocacy, home visits, budgeting, and counseling services. Additionally, the families are provided with the opportunity to participate in HACoLA programs such as Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS), onsite case management, and the Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention (JJCPA) Program, which provides activities specifically designed for at-risk youth.