LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 20: Tents that shelter homeless people line the sidewalk on January 20, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Qian Weizhong/VCG via Getty Images)
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has approved a motion to restore funding for homeless youth ages 16 to 25 and key homelessness prevention programs.
Additionally, following weeks of back-and-forth decisions, the board is also exploring alternative ways to sustain those programs.
Stream Los Angeles News for free, 24/7, wherever you are.
WATCH HEREIn a report presented earlier this month, the Chief Executive Office suggested cuts to some programs in the 2025-2026 Homeless Initiative Funding Recommendations, generating some criticism.
Introduced by Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Holly Mitchell, Tuesday's motion reinstated $5.6 million in funding to programs for youth who are at a higher risk of homelessness.
Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning with NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.
SIGN UP “This restoration is about protecting our most vulnerable youth and ensuring we don't let up on the progress we've made to prevent homelessness before it begins,” Barger said in a statement. “We're sending a clear message that we need to keep these safety nets strong, especially for our young adults trying to gain stability and independence.”
The restored programs will be funded by redirecting allocations within the Public Defender's Office, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority and the Department of Health Services.
The board also directed the Chief Executive Office to explore future options for sustaining the programs as part of the regular and supplemental budget processes, including funding opportunities through the Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency.
“Our young people transitioning out of the county's foster care system -- which is the largest in the nation -- are one of the most vulnerable populations to experience poverty that results in them becoming unhoused,” Mitchell said in a statement. “Ensuring funding is in place for the County's Transitional Age Youth is a necessary investment in our fight to end the homelessness crisis.”
