Shelter Partnership consulted on Los Angeles’ Veterans Housing and Homelessness Prevention Program, advising Mayor Garcetti on ending veteran homelessness. We advocated Public Housing Agencies to increase resources for veterans, obtaining local, state and federal capital funding for permanent supportive housing for chronically homeless veterans. Our work has helped secure $241 million in funding to housing developments that included over 1,500 units designated for homeless veterans. Other recent highlights in this area include:

• Providing ongoing expertise and leadership to USC Center for Innovation and Research on Veterans and Military Families, Veterans Collaborative, United Way Home for Good System Leadership Team and the Los Angeles Supportive Services for Veteran Families Collaborative.  
• Providing recommendations to the Community Development Commission of the County of Los Angeles for implementation of the County-wide Homes for Heroes program.
• Reviewing the Service Plans contained in proposals for $150 million in Veterans Housing and Homeless Prevention program (VHHP) funding administered by the State of California Department of Housing and Community Development and CalVet. VHHP funds aid in the development of affordable multifamily rental housing that includes permanent supportive housing, transitional housing or affordable housing for veterans and their families.  

Families experiencing homelessness have unique needs. Shelter Partnership helps address these special circumstances by advising on program design and program implementation, at both the local and state level. Recent and on-going projects include:

• Assisting the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) with the development and implementation of a coordinated Homeless Family Solutions System (HFSS), a count-wide system of identifying homeless families and connecting them to the appropriate resources
• Advocating for additional funding to further strengthen HFSS and providing on-going technical assistance to service providers in the HFSS network

Shelter Partnership recognizes the importance of addressing the specialized housing needs of certain populations, such as persons living with HIV/AIDs or other physical and/or mental disabilities. Staff ensures that these special needs are reflected in policy decisions, funding decisions and program design. Recent examples of Shelter Partnership's work in addressing housing for special-needs populations include:

• Assisting the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) in securing 547 rental assistance vouchers for chronically homeless disabled individuals through the 2014 HUD Continuum of Care competition. Additionally, staff is helping oversee the implementation of this program and the distribution of vouchers in a timely manner.
• Advising the City of Los Angeles Housing and Community Investment Department (HCID) on implementation of the federally-funded Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) Program in order to best meet the housing needs of homeless and low-income people living with HIV/AIDS in Los Angeles County.

Shelter Partnership focuses its efforts on proven interventions for housing placement and retention of chronically homeless persons. In recent years, Shelter Partnership has consolidated efforts around proven models and interventions, such as:

• Supporting the funding and production of permanent supportive housing (PSH) in a variety of ways, including supporting PSH in our publications and advocating for increased capital, subsidy and services funding.
• Assisting in the development of the Home for Good Standards of Excellence for outreach and emergency shelter programs to improve Housing First opportunities for chronically homeless persons throughout Los Angeles County.

Approximately 25% of the total homeless population of Los Angeles is 55 and older, and this figure is projected to grow rapidly. This is important because homeless older adults are more likely than their younger counterparts to have multiple medical problems and chronic illnesses that may go untreated for years, on top of illnesses common to aging such as diabetes, cardiac disease, circulatory problems, and hypertension. Shelter Partnership has focused research and advocacy efforts on this growing subpopulation. We meet the specialized needs of homeless older adults by engaging in projects such as:

• Advocating for permanent supportive housing (PSH) units that allow formerly homeless older adults to age-in-place.
• Preparing the Homeless Older Adults Strategic Plan which included an exhaustive literature review, data analysis and interviews with housing developers, social services providers, government officials and older adults. This publication remains an important source of data on a growing population that is often disregarded.
• Partnering with housing developers and service providers to adopt and implement HUD’s Limited Preference rule that gives homeless tenants, such as homeless older adults or homeless veterans, admission preferences and facilitates quicker housing placement and housing retention.