After several back and forth amendments on budget adjustments, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Tuesday, March 25, to allocate a $637 million budget for homelessness services.
The total consisted of more than $535 million from fiscal year 2025-26 Measure A Comprehensive Homelessness Services funds, $59 million from one-time Measure H carryover, and $42 million from the State Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program.
More than $96 million of the Local Solutions Fund was allocated to cities and unincorporated areas under one of six formulas available for the board to choose. Senior Manager of Homeless Initiative Carter Hewgley said Formula No. 6 stood out in incentivizing progress.
The board considered the adoption of baseline and target metrics as recommended by the Executive Committee for Regional Homeless Alignment, a move that was vocally opposed by several local leaders.
Palmdale Mayor Richard Loa urged the board to reconsider the allocation, saying the budget disproportionately takes away money from cities and unincorporated areas that need it the most.
A representative from Los Angeles City Councilwoman Nithya Raman’s office backed Loa, stating that the council’s Housing and Homelessness Committee and Mayor Karen Bass were equally concerned about the distribution of funds under the new metrics.
The board opted for Formula No. 4 after an amendment offered by Supervisor Janice Hahn, who said she supported equity in funding allocation to cities.
Other concerns voiced by residents included the reduction of about $7 million for new programs and youth homelessness services. Addressing the board in public comment, residents stressed the need for supporting youth and immigrants who are homeless, or are likely to become homeless.
Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said Formula No. 4 benefited a majority of cities, but called for more funding to be funneled into preventive measures for youth. She suggested repurposing some money to the Pathway Home Program, a collaboration between the county and local jurisdictions.
Horvath offered two amendments to the formula to restore transitional youth expenditures, housing navigation and transitional housing for special population among other items.
Supervisor Holly Mitchell opposed those suggestions, stating she supported preventive services, but did not want funds to be taken away from the Pathway Home Program. After deliberations, the board found a middle ground on adjusting the funding.
Addressing public comment on delaying the budget approval and reconsidering the proposed options, Mitchell stressed the need to move fast, and the board ultimately voted 5-0 to adopt the funding.
“Thanks to voters, our county’s 88 cities will finally have direct, reliable funding to address the unique homeless crises facing their communities with the solutions that work best for their residents,” Hahn said. “But just because this is new, doesn’t mean we should start small. I want to get our cities the most amount of funding possible so they can start strong, make a difference in unsheltered homelessness, and be real partners in this work with us.”
Horvath also released the following statement after Tuesday’s vote:
“Our communities are tired of the status quo. They are frustrated with sharing their voices only for them to be ignored in the process. The days of rubber stamping are over. It’s time for outcome-based budgeting, where we invest in programs that house the most people with our limited dollars, and standardize care across our system.
“We must ensure every dollar invested in homeless services is used wisely and leads to real results. Cutting funds for our transition-age youth is both cruel and irresponsible, and sacrificing our prevention services cuts our most cost-effective way to keep people housed and risks increasing flow into homelessness. We need more transparency and to genuinely listen to those who are directly impacted,” she continued.
“This budget underscores the urgent need to consolidate homelessness services into one department, allowing us to better track investments and outcomes, and standardize services to maximize every dollar spent.”