Los Angeles County is preparing for significant financial challenges as federal funding for homelessness services faces potential cuts. On Thursday, Sarah Mahin, director of the county’s new homelessness department, highlighted the looming shortfall due to reductions at local, state, and federal levels. The cuts are part of a broader initiative by President Donald Trump to address homelessness through increased law enforcement and mandatory treatment measures, as reported by California Healthline.
The impact of these changes is already being felt. The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles has announced that starting August 1, rent subsidies for new Section 8 leases will decrease by 10%, as noted by LAist. This reduction forces many low-income families to choose between less desirable housing options or risk losing their vouchers. Javier Beltran from the Housing Rights Center expressed concern that this could exacerbate segregation by keeping voucher holders in low-income neighborhoods.
President Trump’s executive order on homelessness has drawn mixed reactions, with some officials expressing concern over its reliance on law enforcement. The order does not specifically mention California’s CARE Court, but it raises questions about its future, according to Reuters.
As the county braces for these financial challenges, officials are uncertain about when they will be able to resume issuing new vouchers, leaving approximately 24,000 applicants on the waitlist.
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