Mayor Eric Garcetti was joined by Los Angeles City Council members and homeless service providers today to announce the approval of $12.4 million in emergency homeless relief funding, which will be used this winter to help get Angelenos off the street and out of harm’s way. With El Niño winter storms expected to hit the Southland in the coming weeks, the new funding will help expand temporary housing and other critical services as the City continues working toward long-term strategies to fight homelessness.
“We will not be intimidated by the scale of this problem, or listen to those who say it is intractable,” said Mayor Garcetti. “We must remain laser-focused on solving this crisis — both on the short-term fixes and long-term strategies that will keep our residents safe and off the streets.”
The majority of this funding, $10 million, will be used for City-sponsored rapid rehousing subsidies — the first time Los Angeles has ever used general fund dollars to cover these costs. This housing assistance will also be used to cover move-in costs for people who find housing, and will include targeted funding to help house homeless veterans. This new funding is expected to house nearly 1,000 homeless individuals.
Funding will also be used to increase winter shelter beds in Los Angeles by more than 50 percent, bringing the City’s total to 1,300. The goal is to provide these beds to people living in high-risk locations — including the L.A. riverbed and the Tujunga and Arroyo Seco washes.
