The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a motion directing the county to establish a coordinated homelessness prevention framework, with wildfire survivors from the January Eaton and Palisades fires among the first populations the new system is designed to serve.
The motion, authored by Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Lindsey P. Horvath, comes as new survey data underscores the urgency: two-thirds of fire-affected residents remain displaced, and nearly half have exhausted or will soon exhaust their insurance-funded temporary housing benefits, according to the nonprofit Department of Angels' latest Community Voices: LA Fire Recovery Report.
Forty percent of survivors said they could afford no more than six months of housing without assistance, while fewer than one in three believe they can sustain housing costs for more than a year on their own.
"Fire survivors are doing everything right, including paying their mortgage, finding temporary housing, and waiting for support to catch up to their needs," Barger said. "We can't let families lose their housing on top of everything else they've already lost."
Horvath said the county needs a prevention system that reflects current realities. "Recovery isn't one-size-fits-all," she said. "We have to make it easier to access support, connect people to the right resources sooner, and coordinate across agencies so temporary setbacks don't become permanent losses."
Under the motion, the county's Chief Executive Office will work with the Department of Homeless Services and Housing, the Los Angeles County Development Authority, the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs and other departments to build the new framework.
Within 45 days, the county will launch a public Homelessness Prevention Resource webpage listing available county, regional and partner services, including rental assistance, mortgage relief, legal aid and utility assistance.
The motion also calls for designating a single point of contact to coordinate prevention efforts across agencies and directs the development of an outreach plan — due to the board July 21 — to connect fire-impacted community organizations with available resources. Organizations identified for engagement include the Eaton Fire Collaborative Long-Term Recovery Group, the Altadena Town Council, the Malibu and Palisades Long-Term Recovery Groups, the Topanga Town Council and the Sunset Mesa Homeowners' Association.
County departments will also develop a Coordinated Homelessness Prevention Referral System featuring a triage tool to match residents with appropriate services and identify gaps in support for populations at heightened risk of housing instability, including fire survivors, seniors on fixed incomes, transition-age youth and justice-impacted individuals. The motion establishes a dedicated Prevention Navigator position within the Department of Homeless Services and Housing using existing resources.