Southland Homeless Program Housed 1,500-Plus, Officials Said

LOS ANGELES, CA - A local program that provides services to the homeless was able to house more than 1,500 families during a recent 18-month period, officials said today.

Officials with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority said 1,046 families were matched with permanent homes between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015 as part of its Homeless Family Solutions Program. In the following six months, another 500 families were permanently housed and more than 200 families already receiving help were still being assisted.

Over a two-year period, 93.5 percent of the families served by the program did not return to being homeless, according to officials.

LAHSA officials said they customized their services based on regional needs, and used aid money restricted to needy families to pay for temporary shelters and financial assistance.

"Through innovative funding models, deep knowledge of communities across Los Angeles and scalability from a diverse network of partners, we are housing homeless families -- and keeping them housed," LAHSA executive director Peter Lynn said.

--City News Service, photo via Shutterstock