LA County launches new department of Homeless Services and Housing

LA County's new Homeless Services & Housing Dept.

Los Angeles County launched a new department of Homeless Services and Housing.

LOS ANGELES - The County of Los Angeles has launched a new department aimed at tackling the homeless crisis. 

What they're saying:

County leaders say the new department will allow the board of supervisors to have better oversight of the money being spent on homelessness.

The formation of the Los Angeles County Department of Homeless Services and Housing comes after hundreds of millions of dollars were mismanaged by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. 

Supervisors Lindsey Horvath and Kathryn Barger say one of the main goals of the new department is transparency. 

RELATED: 

• 2026 Greater LA Homeless Count begins three-night push
• Thousands of volunteers to deploy for 2026 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count

"We are making the county's response clearer, faster, and more accountable to the people and to the communities that we serve," said Sarah Mahin, director of the Department of Homeless Services and Housing. 

"We aren't just standing up a new department to take all the problems that existed at LAHSA and bring them over here. We are trying to untangle the mess and start with a clean slate and doing things that work," said Supervisor Horvath. 

By the numbers:

The new department is asking the board of supervisors to approve a budget of more than $820 million. Much of that comes from Measure A, an increase to the county sales tax passed by voters in 2024. 

The public will be able to track where the money is going through online dashboards. 

"Accountability now ends with the board. We are bringing in the money as it relates to the measure and it's important to recognize that the buck is going to stop with us," said Supervisor Kathryn Barger. 

Every dollar spent on housing, care and other services will be oversee by the board of supervisors. The department also vows to keep the public informed.