Stopping the System to Street Pipeline

Housing and Homelessness

County of Los Angeles

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative

Los Angeles County continues to experience a crisis in homelessness. The latest Point in Time (PIT) count found a 17%+ increase in the number of visible tents, vehicles, and makeshift shelters; 2,000+ youth indicated experiences of homelessness and thousands more were at-risk. Between 2020 and 2022: *The PIT showed youth mental health issues increasing from 16% to 30% and substance abuse from 7% to 40% *The LA County Department of Public Health reported that youth deaths more than doubled. Studies have shown that up to 50% of chronically homeless adults were homeless as a youth; without systemic interventions, youth will continue to struggle. This largely includes youth from marginalized communities: 79% of youth we serve identify as BIPoC, including 53% as Black or African American and 28% as Latinx, 26% identify as LGBTQ+, 37% have experience in foster care, 41% report a mental health disorder, 67% a history of family trauma and 26% a learning disability.

SPY provides Emergency Housing beds for up to 24 youth (18-25) at a time, including for those exiting foster care. Residents receive on-site, 24-hour support and bi-weekly check-ins from Case Managers, who help them into longer-term housing, and strengthen financial independence and other life skills. Additional services are available from SPY's Education & Employment Specialists, mental and physical health clinicians, and our Garden Program, which provides workshops on nutrition and access to healthy food. The program was created quickly at the end of 2021, to prevent foster youth from entering homelessness at the end of COVID relief funds, and was possible via a partnership formed between SPY, the Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS), the Center for Strategic Partnership, private philanthropy, and corporate partners. The Program is a pilot for DCFS, allowing direct referrals to a housing program for youth aging out of foster care. The program - now available to all unhoused youth -continues as a pilot in two ways: *DCFS continues testing the efficacy of being able to refer youth exiting foster care *We have moved the program from the initial hostel-like setting to a 9 bedroom house in Echo Park. The new site will allow for more personal space and communal activities, like cooking meals. With funds from LA 2050, we can enhance and evaluate this Emergency Housing model, with a goal of expanding its availability across the County.

We will continue to disrupt the 'system to street pipeline', reducing the number of youth living on the streets, and help prevent the next generation of chronically homeless adults. Specifically, in the short term, we will: *Maintain 95% housing occupancy *Have 100% of residents participate in Case Management *Provide clinical services, education and employment, and life skills training for 100% of residents We will also hear from residents, like Tysaiah. Tysaiah aged out of the child welfare system during the pandemic, and moved into our Emergency Housing. Supported by SPY's services, he got a housing voucher and enrolled in college. He says of the program: "I didn't have to worry about not having someone to support me...it's all here. It took some weight off my shoulders. A lot." Long term, we will track the number transitioning into longer-term housing, work with DCFS to promote this model around the county, and hear from hundreds of more youth like Tysaiah.

SPY measures success by our ability to support youth toward self-identified goals, e.g., placement and maintenance of housing, steps toward employment, enrollment in educational programs, and accessing clinical care. Data is captured through: *Baseline Intake, including housing status, education and employment history, mental health needs, and personal development *Monthly Status Updates *Weekly Program Participation and Referrals: number enrolled in programs, placed into permanent housing, employed, enrolled in school, etc. In its first year, in the previous youth-hostel-like setting, 66% of youth served by SPY's Emergency Housing Program moved into longer-term housing within a year. We will be comparing that data with results from the new, pilot Emergency Housing setting as well as surveying youth to better understand their experiences. That data will be used to improve the program and shared with other housing providers and the County.