Welcome to the September edition of The Road Home. This edition of our newsletter features articles on ensuring funding for housing and homelessness, the results of our outreach teams in the first half of 2021, the affordable housing needs report, and more. For more frequent updates, check out our blog on Medium, also called The Road Home, here.
Call Congress Members to Ensure Funding for Housing and Homelessness
Now that the budget resolution has been approved, committees in the House and the Senate are in the process of drafting legislation to divvy the funding allocation amongst various programs. This is where your advocacy is needed. To find your Congressional representative and their contact information, please visit LAHSA’s Legislative Affairs Resources webpage.
Outreach Works: Homeless Rehousing System Brings Thousands of People Inside in First Half of 2021
Every day, outreach teams across several public agencies and dozens of nonprofits focus on building trust and rapport with people experiencing unsheltered homelessness, starting with offers of small but vital items to help meet their needs, such as hygiene kits, bottled water, and food. Teams across Los Angeles County made those types of contact with 22,152 people in the first half of 2021.

Through these interactions, 15,208 people started their path to permanent housing by getting assessed or beginning case management services. As a result, 5,312 unsheltered individuals were able to get connected to interim housing, and 472 additional people ended their homeless crisis.

Learn more about the rehousing system's outreach teams' achievements in 2021 by clicking below.
Hundreds of Thousands of Affordable Homes Needed in LA County
In May, the California Housing Partnership released the Annual Affordable Housing Needs Report for LA County. Among their key findings are:

  • 78% of extremely low-income households are paying more than half of their income on housing costs compared to just 2% of moderate-income households.

  • 499,430 low-income renter households in Los Angeles County do not have access to affordable homes.

  • Low-Income Housing Tax Credit production and preservation in Los Angeles County increased by 69% between 2019 and 2020. 

  • Renters in Los Angeles County need to earn $38.23 per hour - 2.5 times the City of Los Angeles minimum wage - to afford the average monthly asking rent of $1,988. 

  • State funding increased 108%, and federal funding increased 48% for housing production and preservation in Los Angeles County from FY 2018- 19 to FY 2019-20. 

How You Can Take Action
  • Support legislation that would increase financial support for the construction and preservation of affordable housing.

  • Support legislation that would streamline and remove barriers to the siting of interim, supportive, and affordable housing.

  • Support fully funding Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program and provide robust annual funding for the National Housing Trust Fund, CDBG, and HOME.

  • Support legislation that would enact broad eviction protections and include funding for a right to counsel/landlord-tenant mediation programs.

  • Support legislation that would incentivize and remove restrictions on affordable housing in communities that are resource-rich.

Use the button below to read the full report.
Cedillo Honors LAHSA For Pandemic Action
On July 31st, the Office of Councilmember Gilbert Cedillo from the Los Angeles City Council District 1 honored the "heroes of CD1" at their Annual Summer Concert.
 
Among the honorees were PATH, Shower of Hope, the Laundry Truck, and LAHSA. All of these organizations were an essential part of fighting the pandemic and bringing resources to the community.
 
We are thankful for receiving this honor!
Research Finding: LAHSA’s Efforts Averted Catastrophe
LAHSA was the public health lead for the unhoused population during COVID, and its efforts prevented tens of thousands of infections and hundreds of deaths. 

Estimates from researchers Dennis Culhane and Randall Kuhn estimated that without concerted action, as many of 27,750 people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County could become infected with COVID, leading to nearly 3,000 hospitalizations and nearly 500 deaths. 
In fact, infections were 73% lower than expected as 7,483 PEH became infected, and deaths were almost 57% less than projected.
LAHSA Welcomes Two New Deputy Chiefs
Emily Vaughn Henry joins LAHSA as the new Deputy Chief Information Officer (DCIO)

LAHSA is thrilled to be welcoming Emily Vaughn Henry to the LAHSA family as our new Deputy Chief Information Officer (DCIO). The DCIO is a new position that will be responsible for overseeing, integrating and aligning the IT and Data Management teams, including the establishment of and implementation of an IT and Data Management governance structure, vision and Roadmap.

Emily Vaughn Henry comes to LAHSA with 25 years of IT and data management experience. Before coming to LAHSA, Emily was the Chief Information Officer at La Sierra University, where she spearheaded a Digital Transformation Strategy. As an advocate for best practices in technology, Emily has worked with various public and private sector leaders to align technology with a tangible impact on society.

Welcome to LAHSA, Emily!
Keshia Douglas promoted to Deputy Chief Talent Officer (DCTO)

As DTCO, Keshia will oversee HR, Training, Project Management and Executive Support. The DTCO position reports to Jayanthi Daniel, Executive Management Officer and is a part of the Executive Leadership team. 
 
Keshia Douglas is a seasoned Human Resources professional with over 25 years’ experience. She has been part of LAHSA as the Director of Human Resources for the last 20 years and has helped grow the organization from 30 employees to a workforce of 550+.
 
We are so thrilled to have Keshia serve in this leadership role and know that she will continue to do incredible things!
Saving a Life with NARCAN
"A few days ago, around noon, we were conducting outreach in collaboration with the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) offering COVID-19 vaccinations and tests.

While speaking with an individual, a man on a bicycle approached my partner and I screaming and asking if we had NARCAN. I immediately remember having NARCAN in my LAHSA vehicle. I told him I had one and to please follow me.

We both ran half a block to my work car. I got the NARCAN and advised the man to guide my partner and I to the person in need. At that moment, we realized the person in need of NARCAN was the man on the bike. He was showing signs of an overdose. We immediately administrated both doses, and we could see the NARCAN act immediately.

Once he was feeling better, he expressed how thankful and grateful he was for saving his life. My partner and I were at the right place and right time and with the right resources. It was our first time administrating NARCAN. We saved a life today.

We will like to highlight the importance of carrying NARCAN while conducting outreach because we never know when somebody will need it."

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Thank you to Daisy Alonso Garcia, HET member, and Sherise Ortega, HET member, for sharing this story! Your rapid response and quick thinking saved a life! We are so proud of you!