SANTA MONICA—On February 17, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors announced the results of their study from January 22 through January 31 on at-risk youth and elderly homelessness. The new Pathway Home Initiative will relocate 25 of the 25,000 people experiencing homelessness into interim housing to begin the process of transitioning them into permanent housing.
Carter Hewgley, the Senior Manager for the Los Angeles County Homeless Initiative made the following statement first reported by the Daily Press:
“The scale of the crisis is much larger than the scale of our resources, but the good thing about the pathway home program is that the county has secured a motel-based interim housing site for two years.
“These 25 people are not just being offered an interim housing stay, they’re also being given a pathway home, which means we’re funding housing, navigation and housing subsidies for them. So, we already have an exit pathway to permanent housing for all of them, which means we’ll be able to reuse the rooms at the hotel to run future operations in Santa Monica, for people experiencing homelessness in Santa Monica.”
In a May 16, 2023, press release by California Governor Gavin Newsom, he announced $1 billion in homeless funding for tiny houses.
The following came from Governor Newsom’s press release that may be found on his webpage:
“After meeting with the Governor late last year, local jurisdictions have set new, more ambitious homelessness reduction goals and may now access $1 billion through round four of the state grant program.
State is delivering 1,200 small homes to Los Angeles, San Diego County, San Jose and Sacramento to provide safe, interim housing for people experiencing homelessness.
Those living in encampments will be prioritized for these new units by the local governments operating the homes and providing services.”
The $1 billion housing grant was to provide homes in the following counties.
500 units in Los Angeles, 350 Units in Sacramento, 200 units in San Jose, and 150 units in San Diego Counties.
For 2024, Governor Newsom has reportedly been on the campaign trail for President Biden while the municipalities in his home state attempt to navigate its ongoing homeless crisis.
Recent reports indicate that moratoriums are being placed on cities who have not adequately provided housing alternatives for their homeless population. Judges such as Judge Kim in Beverly Hills will not allow building permits to be processed until the city provides an adequate housing plan for its unhoused residents.
