LA Council to Explore Independent Continuum of Care to Address Homelessness

The Los Angeles City Council is expected Wednesday to consider a motion intended to analyze the feasibility of establishing a city-only Continuum of Care, which would be independent of the county’s jurisdiction, as a means to address homelessness.

A Continuum of Care is a regional or local planning body that coordinates housing and services funding for homeless families and individuals.

Council members John Lee and Ysabel Jurado introduced the motion June 20, and received unanimous support from the committees on housing and homelessness, as well as civil rights. If approved, council members would instruct the chief legislative analyst to report on the potential benefits and drawbacks of taking such direction.

“…The formation of a city-only CoC would allow the city to geographically structure its programs in a manner that suits the city’s needs,” the motion reads. “While establishing an independent CoC would require federal approval and a potentially lengthy transition, there is significant value in evaluating this option to better align resources, policies and service delivery.”

The Housing Department would be tasked with providing how the city would go about receiving federal grants and remain competitive in securing funding as well.

Los Angeles is part of the Los Angeles County Continuum of Care, which consists of 85 of the county’s 88 cities. Glendale, Pasadena and Long Beach are not part of the Continuum of Care as they run separate and independent health departments from the county.

The county further divides the Continuum of Care into eight geographic areas, also known as Service Planning Areas. The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority helps coordinate efforts among agencies, businesses, community leaders, government agencies and elected officials.

Additionally, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development requires communities to submit applications for grants. LAHSA serves as the lead agency for the Los Angeles Continuum of Care and the entity is responsible for applying for federal funding for the region.

The motion is one of several initiatives being explored by city officials as the county advances plans to establish a new homeless department next year.