Exploring the Feasibility of Building a Housing Stock Tool to Address Homelessness in Los Angeles

Despite the dramatic scope of homelessness in Los Angeles County, there is not a credible, comprehensive source on the housing stock that is available for addressing this issue. In this project, the authors aimed to bring together an unparalleled amount of data on the current supply of housing in Los Angeles County to address homelessness. They take a broad view of housing that incorporates not only such resources as interim or shelter settings and permanent supportive housing, but also deed-restricted affordable housing developments as well as residential settings that address physical, mental, and substance use treatment needs.

In this report, the authors describe how they combined data from city, county, state, and federal agencies to develop an interactive, map-based tool. They also discuss the broader context of their work from interviews conducted with staff from county and other government agencies, nonprofit homeless service providers, and other research entities. The purpose of this project is to provide a comprehensive set of information about current housing resources to facilitate planning, policymaking and research related to the supply of housing resources that aim to address homelessness in the Los Angeles region.