LA County Shifts Homelessness Strategy: What the CRE Industry Needs to Know
Los Angeles County has a new leader for its Department of Homeless Services and Housing. For the CRE industry, this could lead to clearer processes, better coordination, and more chances to work with the county on homelessness issues near properties.
What You Need to Know
Sarah Mahin, who led the County’s Housing for Health program, is now director of the new Department of Homeless Services and Housing.
Nearly $350 million has been reallocated from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority to this new County Department.
The change comes after audits found LAHSA wasn’t properly tracking spending or results, prompting the county to take over the funding.
The new department will be fully running by July 2026 and serve over 75,000 people experiencing homelessness.
How It Impacts You
For the CRE industry, this shift could significantly affect how homelessness is addressed around properties:
Better Coordination: A single county agency could respond more quickly to encampments and services near buildings.
Clearer Oversight: With stronger checks on service providers, property managers may see fewer long-term issues around their buildings.
Chance to Give Input: Property managers and service providers can join the planning process and share feedback to help improve programs.
Possible Rule Changes: How the new department performs could affect future rules or policies for property owners.
Stay Connected
Stay connected with BOMA on the Frontline to keep an eye on the new department’s success in its mission to bring more transparency and accountability to how homelessness is addressed.
