Last week, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti held his annual State of the City address, in which he announced plans to allocate $1 billion to combat #homelessness in the coming year. This is a commendable increase from previous budgets, and it is exactly the kind of ambitious plan Los Angeles needs in order to curb our housing crisis.
One of the most laudable aspects of Garcetti’s planned budget is the $350 million dedicated for long-term housing, such as new affordable housing and apartments. In the past, L.A.’s homeless solutions have centered on temporary shelters that offer no pathway to upward #mobility. In order to comprehensively address homelessness, Los Angeles needs to make real strides towards increasing our shelter beds and short-term housing, as well as long-term and affordable housing.
While NHF finds Mayor Garcetti’s expansion of the city’s homelessness budget inspiring, we have a long way to go before real, systemic change is enacted. After all, every day in our city, 207 people leave the streets, while 227 more become unhoused.
Making strides toward housing our neighbors demands a collective effort, and the city should bring in the voices of the people and organizations, like NHF, who work tirelessly every day to ensure the health and wellness of Los Angeles’ under-resourced communities. NHF’s recuperative care program provides quality care and social services to vulnerable individuals experiencing homelessness who are discharged from a hospital but have nowhere else to turn. In 2020 alone, we saved the health care system over $10.3 million in cost savings through recuperative care and transitioned 45% of our recuperative care facility guests to stable housing options after a 14-day average length of stay.
As we remain hopeful for the #future of housing in Los Angeles, NHF continues to support solutions to homelessness that prioritize compassion and dignity in a manner that recognizes the intrinsic worth of every person. #Nonprofits #Leadership #Ideas
Read news of the budget allocation here.