Project Homekey 2.0

CEO - Homeless Initiative

County Spending Category
1.1 Housing for People Experiencing Homelessness
Federal Expenditure Category
Long-term Housing Security: Affordable Housing
Project Launch Date
10/19/2021
Anticipated End Date
12/30/2024
Project Contacts Indicators & Metrics Target Populations Project Description Goals & Objectives

Project Contacts

Indicators & Metrics to Date

  • Permanent Housing Supportive Units
    145
  • Interim Housing Beds
    1156
  • Number of Affordable Housing Units Preserved or Developed
    0
  • Number of Master Agreements Executed
    0
  • Number of Applications
    0

Target Populations

  • People Experiencing Homelessness

Project Description

As a part of the State of California’s Department of Housing and Community Development’s (HCD’s) Homekey Round 2 program, the County of Los Angeles is jointly applying with affordable housing developers and homeless services providers (co-applicants) for funding to acquire properties that will be used as permanent and temporary housing for people experiencing homelessness. The County will provide ARPA funding to support the local match required in some instances for the acquisition, rehabilitation, and operation of these properties. The properties will provide housing to the most vulnerable residents of the County of Los Angeles, all of whom have been impacted by COVID-19. After the onset of the pandemic, the number of deaths among people experiencing homelessness (PEH) in LA County increased, going from 1271 deaths pre-pandemic (March 31, 2019-April 1, 2020) to 1988 deaths (April 1, 2020-March 31, 2021). While COVID-19 became the third leading cause of death among PEH in the post-pandemic onset year, the overall increase was driven to an equal or more considerable degree by increases in overdoses, homicide, congenital heart disease, and traffic injury deaths. Evidence shows the COVID-19 pandemic may have exacerbated stressors already present in the lives of PEH, leading to increases in other causes of death, even as we redoubled our COVID-19 prevention efforts in this population. The Homekey Round 2 program will help reduce these stressors and create more stability for PEH, increasing their ability to secure safe housing and comprehensive supportive services to stabilize and maintain their housing. Properties designated for interim housing will serve families, single adults, or transition-aged youth (TAY) experiencing homelessness. They will provide health and mental health services, employment services, access to benefits, and support in identifying and securing permanent housing. Properties designated for permanent supportive housing will be used to provide homeless, disabled adults with long-term rental subsidies and intensive case management services (ICMS), a model that has been proven to the highly effective in enabling chronically homeless households to retain their housing.

Goals & Objectives

Goal Description To increase the supply of affordable and homeless housing by at least 700 unit by December 31, 2023.

Objective Description Provide 80% amount of rental subsidies to support participants residing at these properties by December 31, 2023. The properties will provide housing to the most vulnerable residents of the County of Los Angeles, all of whom have been impacted by COVID-19. Their health and well-being depend on the ability to secure safe housing and comprehensive support services to stabilize and maintain their housing. Properties that are designated for interim housing will serve families, single adults, or transitional aged youth (TAY) who are experiencing homelessness and will provide health and mental health services, employment services, access to benefits, and support in identifying and securing permanent housing. Properties that are designated for permanent supportive housing will be used to provide homeless disabled adults with long-term rental subsidies and intensive case management services (ICMS), a model that has been proven to be extremely effective in enabling chronically homeless individuals to retain their housing.

Activity Description Convene stakeholders quarterly (including residents) to discuss data and strategize about how to address inequitable referrals, service data, and performance outcomes. - Ensure staff are culturally competent and deliver trauma-informed services in interim housing. - Utilize and reference key reports such as LAHSA’s Ad Hoc Committee on Black People Experiencing Homelessness and Milburn et al.’s report on Inequity in the Permanent Supportive Housing System in Los Angeles

Goal Description To ensure that at least 300 permanent supportive housing residents receive the services and support necessary to retain their housing at the time of occupancy or before 12/31/2024 .

Objective Description The project aims to support participants in exiting to permanent housing (from interim housing programs) and retaining permanent housing (in permanent housing programs), employing specific strategies to ensure equitable outcomes in both categories, where historically people of color (particularly Black/African Americans) have had outcomes that are not as good as those achieved by White people. The practices and strategies identified in existing reports that make recommendations for improving outcomes include: - Enhance training and accountability mechanisms to address implicit bias, prejudice, and discrimination among staff serving PEH in PSH. - Collect and analyze referral, service, and outcome data for all Homekey projects, disaggregated by race, ethnicity, and gender. - On a quarterly basis, convene stakeholders (including residents) to discuss data and strategize about how to address inequitable referrals, service data, and performance outcomes. - Ensure staff are culturally competent and deliver trauma-informed services in interim housing. - Utilize and reference key reports such as LAHSA’s Ad Hoc Committee on Black People Experiencing Homelessness and Milburn et al.’s report on Inequity in the Permanent Supportive Housing System in Los Angeles

Activity Description • The acquire 500 or more permanent housing supportive housing units, up to 400 interim housing beds for families, and up to 40 interim housing beds for transitional aged youth (TAY). • To provide supportive services (including health, mental health, employment, and more) to families in interim housing with the objective of exiting more than 50% of household to permanent housing within six months and 100% of households within 12 months. • To provide high quality services to people living in permanent supportive housing with more than 90% retaining housing after 12 months. • To provide high quality services to youth living in interim housing, with more than 50% increasing income within one year and more than 50% finding employment and/or enrolling in training or education programs. • Provide case management to 100% of participants who exit PSH to seek alternative housing.
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
1 Program Outcome Permanent Housing Supportive Units 500.00 500.00
2 Program Outcome Interim Housing Beds 400.00 400.00

Goal Description - To ensure that people living in permanent supportive housing receive the services and support necessary to retain their housing.

Objective Description - Collect and analyze referral, service, and outcome data for all Homekey projects, disaggregated by race, ethnicity, and gender.

Goal Description Through Homekey Round 3 add an additional 500 units of housing by December 31, 2024.

Objective Description Enter into at least 25 master agreements with qualified developers to renovate properties by March 1, 2023

Activity Description By March 1, 2023 release and response to both an RFSQ and RFI in order to qualify developers to partner with the County on Homekey Round 3 NOFA to the State.
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
1 Performance Number of Master Agreements Executed 10.00 50.00

Objective Description Partner with at least 5 developers as co-applicants to the State by July 1, 2023.

Activity Description Apply to the State's Homekey 3 NOFA by July 1, 2023.
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
1 Performance Number of Applications 5.00 10.00