LA City Council Exploring Funding Rental Subsidies for 10,000 Homeless Individuals

Creation of “Housing Now” Program approved by lawmakers last month

By Sam Catanzaro

Los Angeles City Council recently approved the creation of a program that would provide rental subsidies coupled with supportive services for 10,000 homeless individuals. 

The “Housing Now” Program, proposed by Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas, who chairs the City’s Homelessness and Poverty Committee, was unanimously approved by LA City Council on September 21. 

Proposed as a collaboration between the City and County of Los Angeles, the Housing Now Fund would provide rental subsidies coupled with supportive services for an additional 10,000 homeless individuals, according to Ridley-Thomas. Specifically, the program would target those with complex medical and behavioral health needs who reside on City streets.  

“Successful street engagement depends on having a supply of affordable and supportive housing that is readily available to place unhoused clients without delay. We need to accelerate our investment in these long-term permanent housing solutions, if we want to make a difference in the lives of our unsheltered residents,” Ridley-Thomas said. “We need to work at the scale that this crisis requires.”

The State of California’s 2021-22 Budget includes $4.8 billion in new programs that predominantly focus on building permanent housing, but according to Ridley-Thomas “to fully take advantage of these capital investment opportunities, localities will need to supply rental or operating subsidies. The Housing Now Fund would complement the State’s proposed investment in order to bring thousands more Angelenos indoors.”

The Fund proposes a potential collaboration with the County, where the City provides the funding for the rental costs, and the County provides the supportive services to the housed clients through the Housing for Health model. 

“We have largely used it to leverage the existing housing market – to lease up in the private sector and to do it quickly with the housing stock that already exists,” said Interim Executive Director of the Los Angeles County Homeless Initiative, Cheri Todoroff. “It has also been used to spur the development of new housing for the developers who are doing it outside of the traditional process. As long as there is a commitment with the rental subsidy, there are some developers out there that will get their own financing and not rely on additional funding from the public sector to create permanent supportive housing.” 

A report back from the City’s Administrative Officer and Chief Legislative Analyst on the development of the Fund is anticipated to come before the Homeless and Poverty Committee within 60 days on the motion’s passage.

Related Posts

Santa Monica Council Votes in Support of Park-Centric Future at Airport Site

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025

The decision followed a contentious meeting with over 140 public speakers and more than 1,000 emails received by the council...

‘Adoptapalooza’ Pet Adoption Festival Returns to Main Street This Weekend

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025

The free, family-friendly event aims to connect adoptable animals with new owners Green Dog Dental & Veterinary Center will host...

New Agenda Coaching: Changing Lives in LA

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Students Work Toward Applied Success with Executive Function Coaching Services The demands of daily routines and studies sometimes bear weight...

New Playground, Library Services, Tennis Courts and More Coming to Palisades Rec Center 

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Significant improvements are in progress at the Pacific Palisades Recreation Center, with multiple projects advancing Significant improvements are in progress...

Virtual Town Hall to Discuss Proposed Resilient Rebuilding Authority

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

The agency, to be run by political appointees, would manage permitting, development, zoning, and funding, modeled after post-disaster recoveries Los...

Big Blue Bus to Raise Fares for First Time in Nearly a Decade

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

The fare increase aims to offset rising costs for fuel, utilities, and supplies, according to the agency. The Santa Monica...

Shore Hotel: A Local Destination for Summer Fun

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Bring on all things summer. Walking or biking along Santa Monica Pier, you might find yourself taking a pause at...

Soprano Golda Zahra Returns to BroadStage For a One-Night-Only Musical Celebration

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

Hailed as “the rising star of the opera world” by The Hollywood Times, internationally acclaimed soprano Golda Zahra makes her much-anticipated return to BroadStage in...

Committee Granted Authority to Oversee Grants and Donations for Palisades Council

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

The Grants Committee is tasked with developing application processes and eligibility standards for PPCC grants and donations The Pacific Palisades...

Anti-Drunk Driving Resolution Introduced as City Council Honors Late Palisades Teen Killed in Crash

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

Levi, who was set to attend the University of Virginia this fall, was killed by a drunk driver on May...

(Video) Hundreds of Drones Light up the Sky for Palisades to Celebrate July 4th

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

The Event Marked One of the First Large Gatherings Among Palisadians Since the January Wildfires. The Event Marked One of...

Transform Your Life: The Free Virtual ONENESS GLOBAL SUMMIT Debuts July 18-20, 2025

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

The ONENESS GLOBAL SUMMIT, a transformative three-day virtual event, is coming, July 18-20, 2025, offering participants worldwide a free opportunity...

New SaMo Bridge Program Refers 56 People in First Month; 37 Connected to Services

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

According to city officials, the program is on pace to meet its goal of serving 260 individuals annually Santa Monica’s...

Multi-Family Venice Property on Rare Double Lot Lists at Over $5M

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

In total, the four units provide 5,398 square feet of living space A multi-family property located one block from Venice...

Vacant Alphabet Streets Lot Lists for $1.99M After Price Cuts

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

The site previously held a 6,001-square-foot residence built in 2018, which included a basement, possibly streamlining the permitting process for...