L.A.'s new homeless solution clears camps but struggles to house people

The Built For Zero program works to end homelessness by partnering with community organizations aimed at helping people experiencing homelessness — specifically veterans — access safe, affordable housing. The Detroit branch is one of the 105 cities nationwide participating in the program. Since joining in 2015, the city has reduced veteran homelessness by about 60%.

Haven for Hope is a large, 22-acre, 1,600-person shelter that serves 85% of the city’s homeless population. It’s an all-inclusive space that provides a place to stay, as well as access to services like medical and dental care, counseling services, mental health care, childcare, job and housing assistance.

California’s Medicaid program, Medi-Cal, is piloting a program that covers rental move-in costs for low-income people in need, specifically those experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The goal is to keep people out of expensive institutions, like emergency rooms, by providing services like housing assistance and healthy food. So far, 20 locals have received Medi-Cal’s housing move-in assistance.

Affordable housing communities serve various low-income populations from seniors to veterans to minorities and families. Gaining a safe and affordable place to live — with rent capped at 30% of their gross income — can help turn people’s lives around as affordable housing communities like Hope Cooperative connects residents with services like healthcare, job, and life skills to get back on their feet.

In Chicago, like other cities, there is a shortage of services and housing for homeless youth. One developer is addressing the problem by building permanent supportive housing with comprehensive services for those between the ages of 18-25.

Although San Francisco has two shelters that collectively hold more than 300 beds each, these shelters can divide up families and couples, and can discourage pets and personal belongings. These shelters also do not offer services to help the homeless. The Navigation Center serves the homeless from the encampments in the Mission District and offers a variety of services, comfort, and convenience while many successfully find stable housing placements.

Several California cities have adopted a new approach to clearing homeless encampments that prioritizes housing over displacement, called Inside Safe. The model involves spending 6-8 weeks getting to know each encampment resident individually, matching them with appropriate housing, moving people gradually and minimizing police involvement. Los Angeles's Inside Safe program has moved 5,200 people indoors over three years, with approximately 25% securing permanent housing.

PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) organizations are tackling the growing crisis of elder homelessness by expanding beyond traditional medical services to secure housing. These Medicaid and Medicare-funded organizations are partnering with senior housing providers, leasing apartment wings, and even developing their own housing projects to ensure their 83,000+ participants nationwide have stable places to live.

The Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas and its subsidiary Building Health act as safety nets for uninsured people experiencing homelessness by expanding the definition of healthcare to also include housing, serving about 85,000 people a year. By providing wraparound care and services from help finding housing to legal assistance and education, the groups’ combined efforts helped shrink the rate of uninsured, unhoused people from 16% in 2020 to about 12% now.

Tiny home complexes are emerging as solutions to combat homelessness throughout the country, offering a cheap and efficient way to provide shelter amidst the national housing crisis. In some cases, living in a tiny home community serves as a stepping stone to help locals achieve permanent housing.