LA County Receives $60 Million State Grant to Increase Services in Skid Row
Los Angeles County has announced that it has received a $60 million state grant to fund housing projects and provide services for the unhoused population at Skid Row.
The funding comes from the Encampment Resolution Fund created by the California Interagency Council on Homelessness.
What are the Details?
In 2022, the DHS Housing for Health launched the Skid Row Action Plan, intending to make it safer and healthier.
Specifically, the Skid Row Action Plan hopes to:
- Increase permanent housing
- Provide safe services
- Increase interim housing
- Implement a substance use health hub
- Provide 24/7 health services with physical and behavioral urgent care services
- Increase sanitation services
- Increase sources of income
In total, the plan will receive $280 million in funding, with $165 million of that coming from Los Angeles County and City. $55 million is sourced through vouchers from public housing authorities, and the last $60 million is from the state grant the county received.
Skid Row Today
Skid Row has been the face of homelessness in Los Angeles for the better part of the last century and is commonly referred to as the epicenter of the crisis.
Despite it only being four square miles, Skid Row contains over 4,000 homeless people, with nearly 2,700 being unsheltered. This makes it the densest concentration of homeless individuals in Los Angeles County.
In addition, over 30% of Skid Row’s unsheltered population have stated they experience a serious mental illness, with similar numbers stating they have a substance abuse problem.
With the city and county of Los Angeles dedicating a record amount of resources to resolving the homelessness crisis over the next few years, Skid Row must be among the main priorities.
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