A pilot program approved and funded by L.A. County in 2020 will proactively outreach to clients of L.A. County agencies who are at high risk of homelessness according to CPL’s predictive models. Unlike typical prevention programs that require individuals to self-identify as at-risk of homelessness, HPU recognizes that many people may not know how to seek help and miss opportunities for early intervention.
Background
CPL is collaborating with Los Angeles County to implement and evaluate a multi-disciplinary homelessness prevention unit (HPU) for county clients who are at the highest risk of homelessness. The HPU will provide rental assistance and connections to legal services and other direct services to clients of the Department of Health Services and Department of Mental Health who CPL’s models predict to be at the highest risk of homelessness.
Research Project
HPU clients will be identified using predictive models developed by CPL using anonymized, linked client-level data obtained through an established data-sharing partnership with Los Angeles County. CPL’s evaluation of the HPU will determine whether referral to the HPU reduces homelessness for their clients as compared to similar clients who are not referred to the HPU.
Research Team
Professor Till von Wachter (Co-Principal Investigator), Dr. Robert Santillano (Co-Principal Investigator), Janey Rountree, Brian Blackwell, Dr. Maya Buenaventura, April Nunn
Results
Forthcoming