LAT’s Take On Providing Leadership For L.A.’s Homeless System

Dan Costello is one of the editors for the Los Angeles Times editorial page. He wrote today’s piece on LAHSA. I had talked with him a couple of times last week while he was formulating his ideas.

I think he spent a good deal of time researching the current political environment regarding homelessness in Los Angeles.

Here is how he starts it…
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LATE LAST MONTH, the county Board of Supervisors announced a $100-million plan to improve services for the homeless on skid row and beyond. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was barely consulted about the plan, and he didn't know when it was being unveiled.

But he can hardly complain because in December, when he held a news conference to announce a record homeless grant from the federal government, he waited until the last minute to tell the county, leaving too little time for most supervisors to make the event. The mayor's office announced a new homelessness czar a few weeks ago; the county followed with a similar appointment a week later.

Welcome to homeless politics, L.A.-style. Despite growing momentum and gathering consensus for a solution, infighting between the city and the county remains. The mayor and the supervisors need to start looking for more ways to cooperate, not compete. One place they can begin is the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.
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Click here to read the whole article.

He also recommends five points for LAHSA (Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority):

* Reorganize the homeless authority’s board.

* Define the authority’s role.

* Upgrade the authority’s technology.

* Increase the authority’s budget.

* Involve more cities in the authority.