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Palmdale, Lancaster receiving grants to fight homelessness

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Homeless encampment behind a shopping center on 20th Street West in Lancaster. [file]
LOS ANGELES – Palmdale and Lancaster are among the cities that will receive funding to develop detailed plans to fight homelessness, Los Angeles County officials announced Tuesday.

The county is spending more than $2 million to help municipalities coordinate efforts to fight one of the region’s biggest problems.

Grantees were chosen by the United Way, as part of its Home For Good Funders Collaborative. Each of the 47 cities will receive a grant of between $30,000 and $70,000, depending on the number of homeless individuals within their borders.

“The county and its cities must work in partnership if we expect to succeed in our battle against homelessness,” said Supervisor Mark Ridley- Thomas. These grants represent the kind of creative thinking that we need to tackle one of the most pressing humanitarian crises of our region and of our time.”

Cities submitted applications outlining their blueprints for acting in collaboration with the county and community providers. Those providers will be scaling up supportive services for the homeless based on funding available through the Measure H quarter-center sales tax increase.

Strategic planning will kick off at a Nov. 29 meeting in downtown Los Angeles. Cities will use the grant funds to develop their plans by March, with help from United Way and the county.

“We can end homelessness if we all say yes to housing — and this innovative program proves that the solutions can start in the areas that we know best,” said Elise Buik, President and CEO of United Way of Greater Los Angeles. “We’re collectively fighting for all of our homeless neighbors and these cities are at the front lines, providing hope for a better future for all in L.A. County.”

There are more than 57,000 homeless people in Los Angeles County based on a January point-in-time count from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. The total reflects a 23 percent increase over the prior year count.

A full list of cities receiving grants can be found at http://homeforgoodla.org/announcement/.

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6 comments for "Palmdale, Lancaster receiving grants to fight homelessness"

  2. Lancaster should not receive anything to fight homelessness. i an currently only a eye away from becoming homeless due to Lancaster forcing me onto the streets. first the home i was in burned to the ground under mysterious circumstances so I began living in a fully self contained trailer on the ten acre property where the house was located but a few days ago was informed by the Lancaster Gestapo code creeps that we could not stay in the trailer without spending thousands for permits and filing plans for the new structure then today they informed us that they are going to condem the place so that would cost several more thousand to uncondem it before permits would even be granted. now remember we just lost EVERYTHING except the clothes on our backs a couple months ago and as i worked out of the home this includes my source òf income. and all just in time for thanksgiving. and the owner of the propery wants us here so the new structure isnt vandalised or materials stolen or trash dumped on property add it was the last time the property was vacant costing a few thousand dollars to have the task removed and still not all going. fighting homelessness my hot patootie. more like forcing homelessness. being a female who will soon be living on the street in fear of being raped, robbed, beaten and worse not to mention freezing every night when it doesn’t need to be that way I think it’s sickening that they are going to be counting their money while I get raped and beaten.

  3. Palmdale will use theirs, Wrecks will find a way to pocket Lancaster’s. I’d guess one of his cronies is incorporating a company to produce “train repellent” for the city to buy, if they haven’t already.