After our class session today, I was interested to see how recently in Los Angeles, money was being allocated to homeless services. I found that measures to increase services and housing are the main recipients adding onto what currently exists in L.A. county.

Interestingly, L.A. has the highest number of chronically homeless in the nation.

Some updates to the plan include new housing programs, citywide mobile restrooms and showers, and overnight parking sites. City councilman Jose Huizar said that the services should be not just in areas like Skid Row, Hollywood or Venice, but throughout the city.

Much of the draw back to helping the homeless in a city like L.A. are the costs to focus on proposed projects and services and also finding the money to maintain them.

Chronic homelessness is the most costly with long-term housing solutions and mental health and substance abuse treatment.

Our class also discussed the method used in the state of Utah with Housing First which reduces the cost of providing for the homeless by more than half of what it costs to be in and out of jail and hospitals.

The new county homeless initiative in L.A., headed by Phil Ansell, reiterates, “A real bed is much less expensive than a jail bed or a hospital bed”.

With these costs in mind, should other cities model their funds in a similar way to L.A.? Will costs being determined by public officials be effective in regulating homelessness in the future? Should there be federal regulation on behalf of cities with the highest population of homeless?

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-city-county-homeless-plans-20160208-story.html