Supportive housing is generally considered an effective strategy that combines subsidized housing with resources such as mental and physical health services, education and job training, and drug and alcohol treatment. Temporary shelters and other support facilities are also important tools because they can be used as a stopgap until housing becomes available. Getting people off the streets requires increasing the supply of available housing units and shelter beds as quickly as possible.

The City has prioritized using Proposition HHH, high cost of homeless housing, funds to develop long-term solutions such as supportive and affordable housing. A much smaller share of Proposition HHH funding has been set aside to build facilities such as shelters that can help mitigate the homelessness crisis until supportive housing units are completed. The City’s Housing and Community Investment Department (HCIDLA) which is tasked with administering the program – has noted that Proposition HHH was intended to augment its ongoing efforts to build supportive housing. HCIDLA’s plan is to deliver a total of 10,000 supportive housing units within ten years through separate development pipelines – 7,000 through Proposition HHH and 3,000 through non-Proposition HHH sources.