The purpose of the Action Plan is to provide a blueprint for the community-wide implementation of research-based solutions that are both effective in ending homelessness and represent the most effective use of public and private resources in our region.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

MISSION: Create an effective and efficient system that will end chronic and veteran homelessness in Los Angeles County by 2016 and is equipped to swiftly end all forms of homelessness.

Home For Good is a blueprint to end chronic and veteran homelessness by building the most efficient and effective system in our region's history.

Communities across the country have made significant reductions in chronic and veteran homelessness by investing in proven solutions. Homelessness in Denver has decreased by 64%. New York City has reduced homelessness by 29%.

Throughout Los Angeles County, there are innovative organizations, governments and communities suc¬cessfully implementing these solutions. Our homeless services system is outdated, however, and we now manage homelessness, rather than end it. We need to shift away from a system that is cumbersome and confusing, to an efficient system focused on housing our homeless neighbors.

This approach allows us to utilize public and private dollars far more effectively and efficiently.

By focusing on solutions for chronic and veteran homelessness, we allow our mainstream and homeless services systems to quickly resolve short-term crises and provide critical interventions to return individuals and families to stability.

The foundation of a re-imagined system is the notion that housing stability is a critical first step on the road to well¬ness. Vital health, mental health, and other supportive services are then provided after individuals are housed, enabling them to better address these challenges.

This approach is cost-effective because it drastically reduces individuals' stay in shelter or on the streets. By focusing resources on rapid access to permanent housing with supportive services provided after housing, the system can permanently house more people for the same cost, with higher rates of retention and success in housing.

Currently, our public systems invest $875 million each year to manage homelessness in our region rather than end it. This cost includes homeless individuals' use of emergency rooms, jails, shelters, and other crisis services.

Chronically homeless individuals are disproportionately represented among the most frequent and high cost users of public services, as a result of their health, mental health, and substance abuse challenges. $650 million, three quarters of the total resources addressing homelessness, is estimated to be consumed by one quarter of the homeless population.

Permanent supportive housing effectively reduces chronic homelessness and enables individuals to thrive. Permanent supportive housing is permanent housing with rental subsidies and on-site supportive services, such as mental health and health care services, substance abuse services, and money managementto help individuals stabilize and thrive.

Two recent studies in Los Angeles show that it is over 40% less expensive to place someone in permanent supportive housing than to leave that person on the streets.

Providing permanent supportive housing for all chronically homeless individuals could create over $280 million in cost avoidance for public systems.

Reallocating a portion of our existing resources will enable us to provide 12,000 units of permanent supportive housing for all chronically homeless individuals and house 6,000 homeless veterans.

Strategies for Success:

• Align Goals to Integrate Our System
• Collect and Share Data to Assess Need and Track Progress
• Target and Reallocate Existing Resources to Maximize Impact
• Coordinate Resources to Streamline Funding