Addressing Homelessness Equitably
Los Angeles County has the largest unsheltered population in the nation and second-largest overall population of people experiencing homelessness. Effectively preventing and ending homelessness means confronting the barriers that marginalized communities face and designing culturally responsive programs that meet their diverse needs.
For decades, racial and ethnic disparities have persisted among people experiencing homelessness countywide. Together, Black, Hispanic/Latino, and American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) residents account for nearly three out of every four people experiencing homelessness in LA County despite comprising a much smaller percentage of the general population.
These disparities are rooted in decades of institutionalized and systemic racism: housing discrimination, systemic barriers to economic opportunity, and unequal access to institutions.
Access to housing and supportive services should not be determined by a person’s race, ethnicity, gender identity, or any other characteristic. That’s why LA County has incorporated metrics to measure equity alongside the baseline Measure A metrics to ensure systemwide progress reaches the communities who need it most and that racial and ethnic disparities shrink over time.
The equity metrics and framework were developed by the Leadership Table for Regional Homeless Alignment Equity Subcommittee, which is comprised of community members with lived experience of homelessness, service providers, researchers, and Continuum of Care and County staff. You can learn more about the Equity Subcommittee’s work in its final report and executive summary.
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What Is Equity?
Equity means recognizing that people start from different places and that we must design systems to respond accordingly. In LA County, we define equity as ensuring system outcomes are not determined by race, ethnicity, or other characteristics, and that resources are distributed in a way that accounts for different needs and circumstances.
Equity is not just an outcome. It is a practice that requires:
- Centering and engaging those most impacted in decision-making
- Designing policies that respond to real conditions and lived experiences
- Measuring whether outcomes are improving across all subpopulations
Under Measure A, we put this into practice through both baseline and equity metrics – so we are not only tracking overall progress, but whether the gaps are actually closing.
Targeted Universalism
To guide this work, HSH is using a framework called Targeted Universalism. This approach begins with a universal goal—reducing homelessness for everyone—while recognizing that different communities face different barriers to achieving that goal due to race, social inequities, and other factors.
That means we:
- Start with a shared goal: end homelessness for everyone
- Track how the system is doing in relation to that goal
- Look honestly at where some communities are being left behind
- Understand the root causes behind those gaps
- Develop and implement targeted strategies to ensure all groups can reach the goal: stable housing.
This framework shapes how Measure A metrics are designed. Baseline metrics track overall progress. Equity metrics ensure that progress is getting to the people who need it most.
The Data
Here’s what the data show about homelessness in LA County:
- Disproportionate Impact: Black and American Indian and Alaska Native residents are experiencing homelessness at much higher rates than their share of the population, even when they’re accessing services at the same or higher rates than other subpopulations.
- Rapid Growth: Hispanic/Latino residents are the fastest-growing subpopulation experiencing homelessness.
- Access and Experience: Not everyone experiences homelessness and the homeless response system the same way. Gaps in interim housing placements, transitions to permanent housing, and long-term housing stability show that access and outcomes are not equitable.
You can explore these patterns in our data through the dashboards below, which use baseline and equity metrics to illustrate how AIAN and Black communities experience homelessness in LA County.
AIAN Experiencing Homelessness Dashboard
Black People Experiencing Homelessness Dashboard
Defining Baseline and Equity Metrics
Baseline metrics tell us whether homelessness is going up or down. Under Measure A, we use them to track progress on:
- Reducing unsheltered homelessness
- Increasing exits to permanent housing
- Improving housing stability
- Preventing new entries into homelessness
Equity metrics ensure that we are also tracking:
- Whether overrepresentation is decreasing
- Whether growth in homelessness is slowing for disproportionately impacted groups
- Whether access to services and outcomes are improving across all populations
When both sets of metrics improve together, we will know the homeless response system is working – for everyone.
Our Equity Priorities
Measure A equity metrics are shaped by three core priorities:
What Success Looks Like
Successfully implementing these equity priorities means:
- Fewer people entering homelessness
- Faster transitions into permanent housing
- Higher rates of housing stability
- Reduced—and ultimately eliminated—racial and ethnic disparities
When both sets of metrics improve together, we know the system is working — for everyone.
Our Commitment
HSH is committed to:
- Embedding equity into all aspects of homelessness policy and practice
- Using data to guide decisions and track progress
- Ensuring transparency and accountability to the public
- Centering the experiences of those most impacted
By aligning baseline metrics with equity metrics and using data to drive decisions, HSH and our partners are building a homelessness response system where no one is left behind because of who they are.
