Homelessness Prevention Unit Participants 71% Less Likely to Enter a Shelter, Study Finds

Los Angeles homelessness prevention program shows mixed results in early study – Los Angeles Wave Newspaper Group

LOS ANGELES – A program designed to prevent homelessness in LA County reduced participants’ likelihood of entering shelters by 71% compared to eligible people who didn’t enroll, according to a new report from the California Policy Lab at UCLA, though the findings come with significant limitations. The study examined L.A. County’s Homelessness Prevention Unit during a pilot phase from May 2022 through February 2023, before a formal randomized tri…

Homelessness Prevention Unit participants 71% less likely to enter a shelter, study finds

A new report from the California Policy Lab at UCLA shows promising early results from Los Angeles County's Homelessness Prevention Unit (HPU). The report found that people in the HPU program were 71% less likely to enter a homeless shelter or have contact with street outreach teams within 18 months, compared to similar high-risk people who didn't enroll.

A timeline of homelessness in Los Angeles

From the emergence of Skid Row to the housing crisis after World War II, a look at the major events and policies that made and defined Los Angeles’ homeless crisis.

In a nation growing hostile toward drugs and homelessness, Los Angeles tries leniency

LOS ANGELES — Inside a bright new building in the heart of Skid Row, homeless people hung out in a canopy-covered courtyard — some waiting to take a shower, do laundry, or get medication for addiction treatment. Others relaxed on…

In a Nation Growing Hostile Toward Drugs and Homelessness, Los Angeles Tries Leniency - California Healthline

A new care center for homeless people on Los Angeles’ infamous Skid Row embraces the principle of harm reduction, a more lenient approach to drug use and addiction. County officials say criminalization only worsens homelessness.

New Report: Early Signs of Success from LA County’s Homelessness Prevention Pilot – COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES

July 10, 2025 Contact: Sean Coffey (919) 428-1143 sean@capolicylab.org New Report: Early Signs of Success from LA County’s Homelessness Prevention Pilot Los Angeles, CA – A new report from the California Policy Lab at UCLA shows promising early results from LA County’s Homelessness Prevention Unit (HPU). The report found that people in the HPU program were 71% less likely to enter a homeless shelter or have contact with street outreach teams wit