The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has voted to establish a new consolidated department dedicated to homeless services, marking a significant overhaul of the county's approach to addressing its homelessness crisis. The measure, which passed in a 4-0-1 vote on Tuesday, will centralize the work currently spread across 14 county departments and bring functions performed by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) under direct Board of Supervisors oversight.
The decision represents one of the most substantial restructurings of the county's homeless services system in years, with proponents arguing it will create greater accountability and efficiency in tackling what has become one of the region's most pressing challenges.
The new department will be modeled after Housing for Health, a program within the Department of Health Services that has demonstrated a 37% success rate in transitioning people from interim housing to permanent housing. Officials cite this as the most successful model in the current system.
"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 accountability and results," said Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath, who co-authored the motion with Board Chair Kathryn Barger. "This isn't making the system bigger; it's making it work better, which our communities have been demanding for years."
The consolidation will begin immediately with the creation of an administrative team drawing from the existing Homeless Initiative and Housing for Health programs. The transition of staff and funding from LAHSA is scheduled to be completed by July 1, 2026.
Board Chair Kathryn Barger emphasized that the crisis requires a comprehensive approach beyond housing alone. "Let me be clear: we cannot simply build our way out of homelessness," Barger said. "Real solutions require sustained investments in treatment beds and supportive services."
The third phase of the transition will integrate functions from other county departments that address homelessness, including the Departments of Mental Health, Public Health, and Public Social Services, with a report on this phase due this month.
The vote follows a series of audits revealing significant accountability issues within LAHSA and builds on recommendations made three years ago by the Blue Ribbon Commission on Homelessness, which called for establishing a dedicated county entity for homeless service delivery and streamlining LAHSA.
The County provides about 40% of LAHSA’s overall funding with the City of Los Angeles coming in second at about 35%. Several Los Angeles officials opposed the County’s move and LAHSA leadership,defended the agency's recent progress. CEO Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kellum said many of the accusations against the agency predate her tenure and don't acknowledge improvements that have been made.
"One would be a reduction in unsheltered homelessness, which we've seen now two years in a row, enhanced transparency, promised that we would improve our operations, and we have, we've implemented two new data dashboards that provide unprecedented insight into how our system functions," she said.
LAHSA Chief of Staff Rachel Johnson emphasized that organizational improvements should be measured by their ability to get people off the streets. "And I think something that we've missed in this conversation, as we focus on the system performance, we also have a focus on client level performance that drills down to the person, so we can see a client's housing journey and the impact our decisions and policies have on that."
Despite these defenses, Supervisor Janice Hahn, who supported the measure, cited ongoing problems with LAHSA as a key factor in her decision. "We need to treat homelessness like the crisis it is—but problems with LAHSA, like contract delays and unaccounted funds, have been roadblocks," Hahn said in a statement. "It's time to make a change."
As part of the restructuring, an Office of Unincorporated Services will be established as a stand-alone division of the new department to coordinate homeless services for the approximately one million residents in unincorporated areas of the county.
The Housing for Health model, which will form the foundation of the new department, focuses on people experiencing homelessness who are high utilizers of emergency room visits and healthcare services. Its people-centered approach includes homelessness prevention, street-based outreach, and benefits advocacy programs.
According to 2024 data, Housing for Health served nearly 7,000 people through interim housing programs, with 37% moving to permanent housing. Additionally, 25,000 people received intensive case management services in permanent supportive housing, with 94% retaining housing after one year.
The formation of the new department comes as the county prepares to receive Measure A investments this month, providing what officials describe as "a moment of opportunity to eliminate layers of bureaucracy and tie investments to outcomes."
The motion directs the Chief Executive Officer to work with various county departments to implement the transition, including establishing a collaborative process to determine what funding will be shifted from other departments to the new entity. The CEO and Auditor-Controller are also instructed to embed contract, finance, and budget staff at LAHSA to manage the complex process of reclaiming county investments.
The details of the impact on LAHSA are still influx but the County said there would be opportunities to absorb some of the LAHSA staff whose funding may be shifted to the new department.
A national search for the department's director will begin within 30 days, with stakeholder feedback incorporated into the job qualifications. If a permanent director is not in place by July 1, 2025, the Board will appoint an interim director to oversee implementation.
The restructuring process will include significant stakeholder engagement, with Housing for Health and the CEO-Homeless Initiative directed to conduct meaningful outreach to service providers, jurisdictions, people with lived experience of homelessness, and grassroots organizations.
"The hard work to overhaul our current system begins now, guided by the success of Housing for Health, a proven model that serves the sickest of the sick," Horvath said. "I have never been more hopeful that we will create the change that is long overdue—change that I know we are capable of delivering for people experiencing homelessness and all 88 cities and unincorporated communities of Los Angeles County."
County officials acknowledge the transition will be challenging but emphasize the potential for improved outcomes. While centralizing county homeless services, they stress the importance of maintaining strong partnerships with the City of Los Angeles and the county's other 87 cities.
The motion also directs the Chief Information Officer to conduct an assessment of technology and data system requirements to accurately record service usage and enable data sharing across entities while reducing the burden of duplicate data entry on community providers.
A contingency plan will be developed to provide emergency funding or support for contracted providers in case of any delays that could disrupt services currently funded by the county.
The Board has also directed County Counsel to prepare any new ordinances or amend existing ones as needed to establish the new department and support its objectives as outlined in the CEO's February report.
After the meeting, Kellum said LAHSA would work with the County on the new system.
“LAHSA will work to ensure a smooth transition, allowing our clients to continue on their path to permanent housing as seamlessly as possible,” she said. “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.”
