County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas today urged the Board of Supervisors to declare the eradication of chronic and veteran homelessness by 2016 a countywide priority.
This morning’s motion, authored by Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky and co-authored by Mr. Ridley-Thomas, calls for enactment of “Home for Good,” a comprehensive plan developed by United Way of Greater Los Angeles’s Business Leaders Task Force to permanently house 12,000 chronically homeless individuals (including 1,400 chronically homeless Veterans) and 6,000 newly homeless Veterans by 2016.
“With the adoption of Home for Good’s clear goals and aggressive timeline for the eradication of chronic and Veteran homelessness,” said Mr. Ridley-Thomas, “Los Angeles County will reaffirm that it has both the will and the way to combat this overwhelming but ultimately solvable problem.”
The County spends $875 million each year to manage homelessness, rather than end it.
Three-quarters of that amount is spent on chronically homeless individuals, who comprise only one quarter of the total homeless population. These high costs result from frequent use of emergency rooms, jail, and other crisis services.
Los Angeles County has a total homeless population of 45,000 individuals, with almost 39 percent residing in Mr. Ridley-Thomas’s Second District.
“This is a very ambitious plan,” the Supervisor said. “But we should dedicate nothing less than our full energy to meeting a challenge of such magnitude and moral significance.
“I look forward to partnering with community, business and government leaders to finally end chronic and veteran homelessness in Los Angeles County.”
Jamarah Harris may be contacted at jharris@bos.lacounty.gov
