🌅 Reducing Homelessness by Preventing It

SOURCE

California Policy Lab at UCLA

WHAT TO KNOW

• Los Angeles County residents at risk of homelessness who participated in the county’s Homelessness Prevention Unit program were 71% less likely to enter a homeless shelter in the following 18 months compared to residents who were referred to outreach but not enrolled. Participants were also 14% less likely to experience any type of homelessness after the program, 43% less likely to have a mental health crisis, and 42% less likely to be arrested.

WHY IT MATTERS

• The program used a first-of-its kind predictive model developed by the California Policy Lab at UCLA to identify Angelenos the most at risk of homelessness and connect them with “intensive, tailored support,” including health care, job services, and access to essentials, like laptops and appliances. Participants also received an average of $6,469 in financial assistance and saw case managers with small caseloads and the ability to offer personalized support.

CONNECT THE DOTS

• California’s approach to homelessness reduction and prevention appears to be working: the latest federal estimates show while homelessness rose 18% nationwide from 2023 to 2024, it rose just 3% across the Golden State. The outcomes were even more impressive in Los Angeles, where the number of people living outside fell by 5.1% countywide and 10.4% across the city.