“The region is in crisis, but the system serving persons experiencing homelessness is not set up to operate in crisis mode,” according to the report from the Blue Ribbon Commission on H…
Los Angeles County must “reject the status quo” and develop a more cohesive way of addressing homelessness, with the current system too fractured and ill-equipped to handle the breadth of the problem, a county commission concluded on Wednesday, March 31.
“The voices of the system lamented that key government entities and service providers too often operate in silos rather than as an integrated network,” according to the report. “There is role confusion among these entities, and as a result, they are hampered in supporting people experiencing homelessness.”
“… These factors, coupled with a web of sometimes inconsistent and poorly communicated policies and practices, leave LAHSA, service providers, community groups, other cities in the region and other stakeholders feeling devalued, unheard and frustrated.” “Now is the time to reject the status quo and bring new life, new ideas, and new partners into the arena to support those that work to improve our system every day,” according to the report.
“Our rising homeless count numbers prove that,” she said in a statement. “The tents that line our streets prove that. Thousands of individuals in distress prove that. We have more than a hundred public, community-based, faith-based and non-profit organizations dedicated to providing services to people experiencing homelessness, and millions of Measure H dollars in our coffers to fund the work, but our region continues to fall short.