Housing Solutions: Confused Much?
Los Angeles is grappling with one of the most severe homelessness crises in the United States. According to the 2024 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, there are 75,518 people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County, a slight decrease of 0.3% from 2023. While this represents a small improvement, it’s undeniable that LA’s homelessness crisis is exacerbated by a severe lack of affordable housing, with the county facing a shortfall of over 500,000 affordable homes for extremely low-income renters.
The roots of this crisis remain complex and multifaceted, stemming from factors such as soaring rents, stagnant incomes, systemic racism, and the ongoing economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the city continues to search for solutions, it's crucial to understand the various housing models available to address homelessness. This post will explore four key approaches: shelters, interim housing, permanent supportive housing, and affordable housing, each playing a unique role in tackling this pressing issue.
The Four Approaches
1. Shelters
Shelters are temporary, emergency accommodations for individuals experiencing homelessness. They provide immediate, short-term relief from the streets[¹].
Key characteristics:
Temporary stay: Usually limited to a few nights or weeks
Basic amenities: Beds, showers, and meals
Limited privacy: Often communal sleeping areas
Basic services: May include case management and referrals
Entry requirements: Some may have sobriety or other conditions
Goal: Immediate safety and basic needs
2. Interim Housing
Interim housing bridges the gap between emergency shelters and permanent housing. It offers a more stable environment than shelters while individuals work towards permanent housing solutions[¹].
Key characteristics:
Longer stay: Typically, a few months to a year
More privacy: Often individual or small shared rooms
Comprehensive services: Case management, job training, health services
Focused on transition: Goal-oriented towards permanent housing
Supportive environment: Helps build life skills and stability
Flexibility: Can accommodate various populations
3. Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH)
PSH is a long-term solution that combines affordable housing with wrap-around supportive services for individuals with chronic homelessness, disabilities, or other complex needs[²][³].
Key characteristics:
Permanent: No time limit on residency
Affordable: Rent is typically income-based
Comprehensive services: Mental health, substance abuse, medical care, job training
Tailored support: Services customized to individual needs
Housing First approach: No preconditions for housing
Community integration: Aims to help residents become part of the broader community
4. Affordable Housing
Affordable housing refers to housing units that are affordable to households earning below the median income, typically spending no more than 30% of their income on housing costs[²].
Key characteristics:
Income-based: Targeted at low to moderate-income households
Various types: Can include apartments, single-family homes, or other housing types
Limited services: Usually doesn't include comprehensive support services
Long-term solution: Aims to provide stable, long-term housing
Waitlists: Often high demand and long waiting periods
Diverse funding: May involve government subsidies, tax credits, or other programs
DID YOU KNOW?
Weingart Center operates using two (2) of the approaches mentioned above.
Interim Housing: Weingart Center Main Campus • Gardner Street Women’s Bridge Housing • A Bridge Home: Civic Center • A Bridge Home: Schrader • The Weingart Beacon • Hilda L. Solis Care First Village • Vagabond • The Weingart Shelby • The Weingart Mayfair
Permanent Supportive Housing: 11010 smB • Weingart Tower 1 • 600 San Pedro • The Weingart Greenleaf • The Weingart Willows • Weingart Tower 2 • 7024 Broadway • Alveare • Homekey Norwalk • The Weingart Sycamore
Process and Impact
The process for accessing the different housing models varies significantly, reflecting the diverse needs of individuals experiencing homelessness and the unique challenges each model addresses.
Shelters often serve as the first point of contact for many experiencing homelessness and typically operate on a first-come, first-served basis. This approach ensures immediate assistance for those in urgent need. However, some shelters also accept referrals from social services agencies, hospitals, or law enforcement, allowing for a more coordinated response to homelessness. The accessibility of shelters makes them crucial in providing immediate relief, but their limited capacity often means they can't accommodate everyone in need.
Shelters offer an immediate crisis response, helping to reduce visible homelessness and providing a safe alternative to sleeping on the streets. This can have a significant impact on public health and safety, as well as on the overall perception of homelessness in the community.
Interim Housing usually requires a more structured entry process. Individuals are typically referred to these programs by shelters, outreach teams, or other social service providers. This referral system helps ensure that those who can benefit most from the transitional support are prioritized. The process often involves an initial assessment to determine the individual's needs and their readiness to engage in a more structured housing program[²].
Interim Housing plays a crucial role in reducing the strain on emergency shelters by providing a more stable environment for individuals working towards permanent housing. This model helps bridge the gap between homelessness and housing stability, offering support services that can address underlying issues contributing to homelessness[²].
Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) has a more complex access process. It typically involves a comprehensive assessment of an individual's vulnerability and chronic homelessness status. Many communities use a coordinated entry system, where individuals are prioritized based on factors such as length of time homeless, medical vulnerabilities, and other risk factors. This approach ensures that those with the highest needs and who are least likely to exit homelessness without significant support are prioritized for PSH[³].
Permanent Supportive Housing has been shown to significantly reduce chronic homelessness and decrease the use of emergency services. By providing stable housing coupled with comprehensive support services, PSH can lead to improved health outcomes, reduced hospitalization rates, and decreased interactions with the criminal justice system. This not only improves the lives of formerly homeless individuals but also can result in cost savings for the city in terms of reduced emergency service usage[³].
Affordable Housing often has the most formal application process. It usually involves submitting applications, verifying income, and often joining waitlists. The demand for affordable housing frequently outstrips supply, leading to long waiting periods. Some affordable housing programs may prioritize certain groups, such as families with children, veterans, or seniors, depending on the specific project and funding sources[²].
Affordable Housing serves as a preventative measure against homelessness. By ensuring that low-income individuals and families have access to housing they can afford, it helps prevent new cases of homelessness from occurring. Additionally, affordable housing supports workforce stability by allowing essential workers to live in the communities they serve, contributing to the overall economic health of the city[²].
Together, these models form a comprehensive approach to addressing homelessness. They work in concert to provide immediate relief, facilitate transitions to stability, address the needs of the most vulnerable, and prevent future homelessness. The effectiveness of this system depends on having sufficient capacity at each level and ensuring smooth transitions between different housing types. By implementing and scaling these solutions, cities like Los Angeles can work towards a more effective and humane response to the complex challenge of homelessness.
A Bigger Picture
In addressing homelessness, especially in high-need areas like Los Angeles, these four models work together rather than in opposition, forming a greater continuum of care.
While the four models mentioned above are the most common, there are a few additional models or variations that are worth mentioning:
Rapid Re-housing: This is a short-term intervention that provides temporary financial assistance and services to help individuals and families quickly exit homelessness and return to permanent housing. It's often considered a subset of the affordable housing model but with a specific focus on quick intervention.
Transitional Housing: This model falls between emergency shelters and permanent housing, offering temporary accommodation for a set period (usually up to 24 months) along with supportive services. It's similar to interim housing but often has a more structured program and longer duration.
Shared Housing: This involves matching multiple individuals or families to live together in a single housing unit, sharing costs and potentially support services. It can be a cost-effective way to provide housing, especially in high-cost areas.
Housing Cooperatives: These are housing units owned and controlled by residents, which can provide an affordable alternative to traditional rental or ownership models.
Tiny Homes or Micro-housing: These are very small, often portable housing units that can be used as a form of interim or even permanent housing for individuals experiencing homelessness.
Safe Parking Programs: While not a housing model per se, these programs provide secure overnight parking areas for individuals living in their vehicles, often with access to basic services.
Master Leasing: In this model, a nonprofit organization leases multiple units from private landlords and then subleases them to individuals experiencing homelessness, often providing supportive services as well.
These models often overlap or complement the four main types (shelters, interim housing, permanent supportive housing, and affordable housing) and play important roles in the broader housing continuum.
We Need More
While these housing models offer promising solutions, implementing them in Los Angeles faces significant challenges. The city grapples with high land costs, complex zoning regulations, and community resistance to new housing developments, often referred to as "NIMBYism" (Not In My Backyard). Despite these obstacles, Los Angeles is making strides. The city's "A Bridge Home" program has opened numerous interim housing facilities, and Proposition HHH, passed in 2016, is funding the construction of thousands of supportive housing units. Additionally, initiatives like Project Roomkey and Project Homekey have converted hotels and motels into housing for people experiencing homelessness. These efforts, while substantial, highlight the ongoing need for increased funding, streamlined processes, and continued community support to address the scale of homelessness in Los Angeles.
In Los Angeles, with its high homeless population, scaling up all these solutions simultaneously is crucial. This approach can provide immediate relief through shelters and interim housing while working on long-term solutions through PSH and affordable housing development. The key is to maintain a balance and ensure that there are enough resources and capacity at each level of the housing continuum.
Citations:
[1] https://unitedtoendhomelessness.org/blog/types-of-housing-support-for-the-homeless/
[2] https://www.housingca.org/policy/solutions/
[3] https://www.hcd.ca.gov/grants-funding/active-funding/docs/housing-first-fact-sheet.pdf
[4] https://www.kcdhs.org/resources/housing
[5] https://www.gensler.com/blog/we-need-to-rethink-housing-to-address-homelessness-crisis
[6] https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/industries/public%20and%20social%20sector/our%20insights/homelessness%20in%20los%20angeles%20a%20unique%20crisis%20demanding%20new%20solutions/homelessness-in-los-angeles-a-unique-crisis-demanding-new-solution.pdf
[7] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYyLB0IqDKI
[8] https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2023/07/los-angeles-homeless-encampments/
[9] https://homeless.lacounty.gov/our-challenge/
[10] https://laist.com/news/housing-homelessness/understanding-homelessness-city-los-angeles
[11] https://ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws.com/web/direct-files/17611032/dc953c3b-5400-4ed3-8857-ac1292a0707d/paste.txt
