LOS ANGELES – New technology tracking the density of homeless populations and shelter capacity across Los Angeles County was unveiled Tuesday at the Board of Supervisors meeting, with policymakers saying it would guide better decision-making.
Chief Executive Officer Sachi Hamai told the board that the data-driven GIS map identifies gaps in capacity and should be useful to policymakers at the city, county, state and federal levels.
“As a planning tool, this is intended to provide a clear road map for how we should be moving forward with respect to housing,” Hamai said.
The map’s layers color-code the number of homeless individuals in any given area — based on the 2019 point-in-time count — the number of shelter beds available, and the pipeline of new shelters and permanent supportive housing.
Supervisor Kathryn Barger called the interactive map a critical first step in being transparent about the availability of shelter beds and a tool that underlines the urgency of the situation.
Of the nearly 59,000 county residents identified as homeless in the 2019 count by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, more than 44,000 are “unsheltered,” meaning they live on the streets or in cars, versus in a temporary situation with friends or relatives.
Even including new shelters slated to be opened, the county has less than 18,000 shelter beds for those 44,000 people. That excludes shelters in Pasadena, Long Beach and Glendale, which manage their own programs. It also excludes winter shelter beds opened temporarily from now until March.
“When I’m looking at the numbers … we have a huge gap,” Supervisor Janice Hahn said. “And … this is just shelters, this is just bringing in people tonight so they can have a place to sleep, a warm bed, a blanket.”
Supervisor Sheila Kuehl said the data is critical because it can confirm or upend conventional wisdom.
“We actually have more interim housing in the pipeline than anyone else,” Kuehl said about the Third District that she represents.
That’s true, though Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas’ Second District has the highest ratio of available beds to serve homeless individuals, according to the map data.
The board is pushing innovative solutions in an effort to build interim housing as quickly as possible. Supervisor Hilda Solis suggested re- purposing mobile classrooms as housing for homeless individuals.
However, regulations can create obstacles despite agreement on the need for speed. Barger expressed frustration over a tent shelter in downtown Los Angeles — built by Sprung and to be operated by the Union Rescue Mission — that she said is ready to open but struggling to get a certificate of occupancy.
Representatives from Barger’s office and the city are working together to resolve the issue, a spokesman later said.
The interactive map — which Hamai said would be refined and expanded over time — is available at https://www.lacounty.gov/newsroom/homeless-housing-gis-map/.
Kristen Porter says
I believe this can actually be very helpful. At the rate of homelessness something needs to be done. Things might not change tomorrow but at least were looking into the future how to make things better. I hope this actually really allows more shelters to be built to help get homelessness under control and less people off the street . And if perhaps this does not work I hope that we continue to do something to make things better
Feed My People says
Meanwhile, Rex screams and pounds his gavel saying he knows what a crisis is. To him, a crisis is having fog ruin his view of the ocean from his house in Laguna.
No matter what he says, we will not stop feeding the homeless who he ignores and despises.
Sue Page says
Once again, this doesn’t help the Antelope Valley!
Mark says
I think we need to elect more liberals to the city and state government. That will solve the problem.
surfside 6 says
The one benefit of homelessness is they can likely go anywhere and do it. And since you run across see them almost everywhere now it looks like they are.