By Jorge Casuso

April 2, 2025 -- Santa Monica, along with the other 87 LA County cities, will begin working with a new County department to tackle homelessness that replaces the beleaguered Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA).

The newly created Department -- approved by the LA County Board of Supervisors by a 4 to 0 vote Tuesday -- will centralize the work of 14 County departments, according to County officials.

It also once again gives the Board direct oversight of the functions performed by LAHSA, which receives $300 million per year in County funding but has failed to properly account for billions of dollars in spending since it was established in 1993.

The consolidated department focuses on a "Housing for Health" model that replaces the "Housing First" model embraced by Santa Monica and other LA area cities two decades ago ("Part I: City Begins Major Shift in Homeless Policies," August 1, 2005).

"Let me be clear," said Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger. "We cannot simply build our way out of homelessness. Real solutions require sustained investments in treatment beds and supportive services."

The new model, which Santa Monica began implementing over the past several years, "will focus relentlessly on addressing the root causes of homelessness with a comprehensive, accountable approach," Barger said.

The Housing for Health approach "is focused on people experiencing homelessness who are very sick and are high utilizers of emergency room visits and healthcare services," County officials said.

Highly trained case managers will guide "their clients from homelessness to housing to stability" by connecting them to housing, social services and a "benefits advocacy program."

According to County officials, 25,000 people "received intensive case management services in permanent supportive housing" last year, and 94 percent retained housing after one year.

Nearly 7,000 people were served through interim housing programs, with 37 percent moving to permanent housing, while more than 8,800 people received benefits advocacy services, with 84 percent of the claims approved.

"With the support of my colleagues, Los Angeles County is leaving the status quo behind, and is embracing a model for homeless services that centers on accountability and results," said Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath, who with Barger spearheaded the change.

"This isn’t making the system bigger; it’s making it work better, which our communities have been demanding for years,” Horvath said in a statement Tuesday. “The hard work to overhaul our current system begins now."

County officials said the change "begins immediately" with the creation of the Homeless Initiative and Housing for Health administrative team, "as well as robust community and provider engagement."

The County will also immediately work to transition staff and funding from LAHSA, a task that will be completed by July 1, 2026, and begin "integrating functions of other County departments that touch homelessness."

These include the Departments of Mental Health, Public Health and Public Social Services, officials said.

In a statement released Wednesday, LAHSA touted the agency's accomplishments and urged the County to hire its dedicated staff.

"Over the last two years, with unprecedented alignment and collaboration, we’ve made unprecedented progress in reducing unsheltered homelessness in two consecutive years and creating a more efficient rehousing system," the statement read.

"We could not have achieved this progress without the dedication and sacrifice of the team at LAHSA," agency officials wrote. "LAHSA will work to ensure a smooth transition, allowing our clients to continue on their path to permanent housing as seamlessly as possible.

"We urge the County to hire as many of LAHSA’s dedicated staff as possible while remaining committed to pursuing the coordination and alignment that have led to two consecutive years of decreases in unsheltered homelessness."

The number of homeless individuals counted in both the County and Santa Monica has dropped since LAHSA took over the annual homeless census two years ago ("Few Volunteers, Tech Glitches Hamper Homeless Count," January 29, 2024).

Tuesday's action by the Board of Supervisors comes three years after the County's Blue Ribbon Commission on Homelessness "recommended both establishing a County entity dedicated to homeless service delivery and streamlining LAHSA," County officials said.

Last November, Horvath and Barger introduced a motion to launch the sweeping changes. It was followed by a February 28 report from the County CEO that serves as the foundation for the new department.

The report "also follows multiple audits that have found gaping holes in accountability at LAHSA," according to County officials.

"With Measure A investments coming to the County this month, there is a moment of opportunity to eliminate layers of bureaucracy and tie investments to outcomes," officials said.

Measure A --a half-cent sales tax -- was approved by LA County voters last November "to resolve homelessness through housing with services and making housing more affordable," according to the initiative's website.