LA County Supervisors approve $637 million budget for homelessness services

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted to allocate a $637 million budget for homelessness services. 

The unanimous vote came after several back and forth amendments to adjust the budget, which 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 that fit one of six formulas available for the board to choose. 

Carter Hewgley, the Senior Manager of Homeless Initiative said that Formula No. 6 stood out in incentivizing progress. 

Additionally, and despite vocal opposition from local leaders, the board considered adopting baseline and target metrics as recommended by the Executive Committee for Regional Homeless Alignment. 

Among those was Palmdale Mayor Richard Loa, who urged the board to reconsider the allocation. He said that the budget disproportionately takes money from cities and unincorporated areas that need it most. 

His sentiment was matched by City Council woman Nithya Raman, who's office released a statement saying that the Housing and Homeless Committee and Mayor Karen Bass shared concerns about how the funds would be distributed under new metrics. 

Supervisor Janice Hahn, who said that she supported equity in funding allocation, offered an amendment, which led board members to opt for Formula No. 4. 

Some residents also voiced their concerns over the allocation, including the reduction of about $7 million for new programs and youth homelessness services. They address board members during a public comment session, stressing the importance in supporting youth and immigrants who are more prone to or are already experiencing homelessness. 

Supervisor Lindsay Horvath said that Formula No. 4 benefited a majority of cities, but she said more funding would need to be funneled in order to support preventative measures for youth. She suggested using repurposed money from the Pathway Home Program, which is a collaboration between county and local jurisdictions. 

She also offered two amendments to the formula to restore transitional youth expenditures, housing navigation and transitional housing for special population. 

Those suggestions were opposed by Supervisor Holly Mitchell. She said that funds should not be taken from the Pathway Home Program, despite similarly supporting preventative services. 

The board was able to find a middle ground to adjust the funding after deliberations with a 5-0 vote. 

"Thanks to our 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," said Supervisor Hahn in a statement. "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 win this work with us."

Horvath also issued a statement, which read in part, "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. 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."