Los Angeles County is gearing up to seriously tackle its homelessness crisis and mental health issues with a proposed budget of $45.4 billion for the upcoming fiscal year. Supervisor Kathryn Barger voiced her support for the financial plan which sets aside a hefty $728 million to combat homelessness. Barger highlighted the importance of this investment, noting it would help those living on the streets to find and maintain stable housing, according to a statement on her official website.
"This budget proposal rightfully doubles down on heavily investing in homelessness and mental health solutions. We're on the right path, and I believe those investments will have ripple effects that keep our communities safer," Barger said. In efforts to provide more direct services, the budget plans to recruit over 450 new workers for the Department of Mental Health, marking it as the largest staffing boost granted to any of the County's 38 departments.
These hires include a range of professionals from mental health clinicians to substance abuse counselors, aimed to help better connect the homeless with essential support services. The investment is also set to benefit municipal partners, who rely heavily on county resources to handle crises on their streets. The urgency of taking such measures was underscored by recent violent incidents, including an unprovoked fatal stabbing at a Metro station just the day before. Barger told SCV News, "The daily reports of violence in our county are evidence that mental illness is rampant on our streets and in public places."
Bringing on board outreach workers and housing navigators, Barger emphasized, "We must step up our efforts to meet those needs." Doing so, as per her statement, "will increase public safety and improve the quality of life in our County for everyone." Los Angeles' Fifth District, which Barger represents, spans over 2,785.21 square miles and is home to close to two million persons. This extensive area includes parts of 20 cities and 63 unincorporated communities, along with various neighborhoods within the city of Los Angeles itself.
