A recent report released by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) found that structural racism, discrimination, and implicit bias are the main drivers of homelessness among Black people.
And as Jacqueline Waggoner, a commissioner with the homeless services authority says, “If you fix this for black people, you fix it for everyone.”
In 2017, nine percent of Los Angeles County’s residents were Black, but Black people comprised 40 percent of their homeless population. Using a racial equity toolkit to inform its work, the County intends to end homelessness by specifically addressing its structurally generated dimensions. These are embodied in the histories and stories of those now “living rough,” if anyone had been listening.
The 115-page report is a product of the Committee’s understanding of the importance of engaging community and centering race in developing effective solutions.
The report is the first step in a collaborative process to reduce racial inequity. Going forward, LAHSA will work with the Homelessness Policy Research Institute (HPRI) Race Equity working group to measure policy impact and to improve its understanding of the issues facing Black people. Staying true to the Committee’s recommendation of maintaining a racial equity lens throughout all processes, policies, and programs, Black people, people with lived experience, and service providers will be trained to conduct research. Additionally, the group has committed to being accountable to its stakeholders by sharing evaluation results (both positive and negative) with community organizations, government leaders, and, most importantly, the public.
In addition to strong accountability and evaluation practices, the Committee emphasized capacity-building as integral to success. Government funders and private philanthropy are encouraged to commit to providing long-term resources and to examine racial equity impact during the budget review process.
Ultimately, the group hopes to serve as a model for racial equity. With racial equity being a relatively new concept to government agencies, LAHSA’s commitment to implementing a racial equity framework throughout its entire process could serve as a model for other communities seeking to improve its homelessness crisis response system.
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