homelessness

Supervisor Janice Hahn toured the site in June.

Sacramento, CA – On Wednesday, August 28, on a bi-partisan 39-0 vote, the California Legislature approved a measure authored by Senator Bob Archuleta (D-Pico Rivera) and championed by Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn to allow LA County to develop a mental health community on the Metropolitan State Hospital campus to treat and house people with mental illness.

“This is a significant first step to allow state property in LA County to be redeveloped and repurposed to address two of the most pressing issues we face – mental illness and homelessness,” said Senator Bob Archuleta. “As we seek the Governor’s signature, it is clear that collaboration between the State, local governments and community stakeholders remain vital if we are to succeed in addressing our homeless and mental health crisis.”

“We are battling a mental health crisis and we desperately need places where we can treat and house people who are struggling,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn. “With just a small corner of this State property we can provide care and support for hundreds of people at a time. The need is overwhelming and we have no time to waste. I urge the Governor to sign the bill as soon as it gets to his desk, and I look forward to working with our State partners to get these mental health facilities up and running.”

SB 1336 authorizes the director of the Department of General Services (DGS) to lease seven buildings that are currently unused at Metropolitan State Hospital to a nonprofit or local government for the purposes of providing housing and/or treatment to people with behavioral health needs.

The Metropolitan State Hospital (MSH) is a state-run public hospital located in the City of Norwalk specializing in psychiatric care. The 826-bed hospital is operated by the Department of State Hospitals and has an open campus within a security perimeter on 162 acres of state property. Currently, the state hospital admits patients in four different categories: incompetent to stand trial, offender with mental health disorder, not guilty by reason of insanity, and conservatorship Lanterman-Petris-Short Act.

Under the leadership of Supervisor Janice Hahn, Los Angeles County is seeking to renovate the buildings to develop a new mental health community campus that will serve adults and transitional age youth with varying mental health and housing needs. In June, the State and County entered into an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement regarding the leasing of the seven buildings on the Metropolitan State Hospital Campus for this purpose.

The Los Angeles County Care Community will include a series of facilities offering diverse treatment and housing options for people with mental health challenges to be overseen by the LA County Department of Mental Health. These seven buildings were identified through a collaborative effort between the County and State. To create this Care Community, Los Angeles County will be using various grant programs and funding provided by the State as part of the State’s response to the homelessness and mental health crisis.

SB 1336 and the mental health campus proposal comes in response to the growing concerns over the state’s mental health and homelessness crises. It is clear the State and Los Angeles County need more facilities and housing options for individuals with mental health challenges. The Los Angeles County Care Community represents an innovative solution to a complex problem and is an example of the County and State collaborating to identify government property that can be converted into housing while providing access to essential services.

“Using state-owned underutilized land to house people with mental health needs is a win-win situation for both the individual and the communities in which they reside by getting them the support they need and off the street,” said Archuleta.

The bill now heads to the Governor’s desk where he must sign or veto it by the end of next month.

Hahn: “What Governor Newsom is ordering state agencies to do is what LA County is doing with our Pathway Home Program”

Los Angeles, CA — Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn issued the following statement in response to Governor Newsom’s executive order this morning regarding the urgent removal of homeless encampments:

“Encampments are not safe for anyone—not for the people who live in them and not for the residents around them.

“What Governor Newsom is ordering state agencies to do is what LA County is doing with our Pathway Home Program—acting with urgency to address encampments humanely and bring people inside.

“I have asked our county departments to double down on this effort and I am celebrating the $51 million grant we have received from Governor Newsom’s administration to use this strategy to address encampments along the 105 freeway. This work needs to begin as quickly as possible.”

Hahn joined Mayor Rex Richardson and volunteers for the 2024 Homeless Count in January

Sacramento, CA—Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn is applauding news that for the first time in nearly a decade, homelessness in the City of Long Beach has decreased according to Homeless Count results released this morning. The 2024 count shows 3,376 people experiencing homelessness in Long Beach, a 2.1% decrease from last year—the first time the City has reported an overall decrease in homelessness since 2017.

Supervisor Hahn released the following statement:

“Time and time again, Long Beach has been willing to embrace solutions to homelessness and it is paying off. They stepped up during the pandemic to transform motels into shelter, they have welcomed permanent supportive housing, and they were one of the first cities I partnered with when we launched the Pathway Home encampment resolution program last year. Under the leadership of Mayor Rex Richardson, the City has treated this crisis with the urgency it demands.

“This decrease is great news, not only for Long Beach, but for the County as we work to turn the tide of the homelessness crisis with compassionate, effective solutions. We’re going to keep going.”

Download full-size images below
Image 1
Image 2
Image 3

Los Angeles, CA — Today, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn was the lone “No” vote on a motion that will delay the implementation of recently passed Senate Bill 43 in Los Angeles County two years until 2026.  SB 43 is touted as a modernization of the state’s conservatorship laws which have not been updated in fifty years.

In voting no, Hahn issued the following statement:

“I just voted no on the two-year delay of the implementation of SB 43 which would improve conservatorship law so we can care for more people with severe addiction and mental health issues.

The status quo is unacceptable. We have a drug addiction and mental health crisis on our streets. There are people who need help and treatment and won’t survive two more years. I want to see a sense of urgency from our County departments. I think we can get this done sooner and I want to see us try.”

New State-Funded Program Will Provide Treatment and Other Supports to Families and Individuals Struggling with Severe Schizophrenia and Associated Psychotic Disorders

Norwalk, Calif. (November 30, 2023), Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn, Fourth District, in collaboration with the Superior Court of Los Angeles County (the Court), Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH), and Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office/Independent Defense Counsel Office (IDCO) announced the launch of the state-funded Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment program, better known as CARE Court.
Starting tomorrow, December 1, qualified individuals – such as a family member, spouse, roommate, emergency responder, or licensed medical or mental health professional – will be able to petition the Court for an eligible individual with untreated schizophrenia or other associated psychotic disorders to receive treatment and services to stabilize their symptoms and continue on a path of recovery and well-being.
“I talk to too many families who have struggled to get help for their loved ones with severe mental illness and we see too many people with schizophrenia on the streets. CARE Court is a tool we have been missing in LA County,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn. She continued, “Through CARE Court, we will now be better able to support people suffering from untreated schizophrenia and their families who have historically had nowhere else to go.”
LA County CARE Court was initially set to launch in December 2024, but the Court and the County agreed to move the start date up one year to provide early access to this new valuable tool to County residents. This reflects a tremendous amount of work and collaboration between the Court and LA County.
“Implementing CARE Court in Los Angeles will help create change systemically in the lives of individuals who are struggling with mental illness,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger, Fifth District. “Our courts are an important asset and can be a change agent in the lives of many. By creating this special partnership between the courts and our mental health systems, we are creating a pathway towards healing and rehabilitation.”
The intent of the CARE program is to provide an additional tool to help families and individuals find support for their loved ones. For individuals who qualify and agree to participate in CARE Court, housing options, along with connections to social services, are provided via a CARE Plan.
“CARE Court will help us connect individuals with the highest needs to the care they require. As we continue to grapple with a mental health crisis on our streets, especially on Skid Row and MacArthur Park in my district, CARE Court will be an important tool to address an individual’s need with dignity and respect. I look forward to working with the Department of Mental Health, the Courts, and the Public Defender’s Office on implementing this important initiative,” said Supervisor Solis, First District.
To seek these services, a family member, clinician or other person files what is known as a CARE Act petition for someone who is in need of help. Filing a petition is free. A judge reviews the petition and determines if the person is eligible for the CARE program. Specific eligibility requirements can be found at www.lacourt.org/care.
“CARE Court provides the largest trial court in the nation with an opportunity to maximize the expertise of judicial officers who are dedicated to providing support to individuals suffering from mental health disorders with a forum in which they will feel empowered to succeed and pave the way to leading healthy and stable lives,” Presiding Judge Samantha P. Jessner said. “I would like to thank our partners at the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, the Los Angeles County Chief Executive’s Office, the Los Angeles County Public Defender, the Independent Defense Counsel’s Office, and the Board of Supervisors, particularly Supervisor Hahn, for engaging so deeply and collaboratively, enabling the County and the Court to launch CARE Court one year earlier than required so that qualifying individuals can begin receiving the care they need and deserve to stabilize and succeed.”
Rather than cycling through jails and emergency rooms, CARE Court gives vulnerable individuals (and those who care for them) another path to access key services. Participants can receive many kinds of support to promote recovery and well-being, including counseling, medication, and social services. If an individual is accepted into the program, their CARE team of clinicians, case managers and others work with them to develop a plan that will provide services tailored to their needs.
“CARE Court offers people with schizophrenia and other related serious untreated mental health disorders the help they need,” said LACDMH Director Dr. Lisa H. Wong. “It is the latest resource we are offering to put at-risk community members on the path to recovery. Ultimately, our priority is to enable people to heal, live safely in community, and thrive; and our goal is to ensure that there is no wrong door when someone reaches out for help.”
The CARE program is strictly voluntary. Participants cannot be forced to participate in services — including taking medication — against their will and can leave the program at any time. There are no civil or criminal penalties for choosing not to participate in the CARE process or programs. Respondents who qualify for CARE Court services will be provided free legal representation through the Public Defender’s newly formed and separately operated IDCO. The attorneys assigned to CARE Court respondents will provide encouragement to their clients and advocate on their behalf to receive all available services.
“The goal of the CARE program is to provide consistent help and resources to people in the least restrictive way possible,” said Ricardo D. Garcia, LA County Public Defender. “Unlike traditional judicial proceedings that focus on compelling compliance through punishment, CARE Court takes the opposite approach. It creates a specific judicial process to pull together holistic services for respondents while surrounding them with a team of family members and professionals to help them stay on track. We’re delighted that IDCO will play such a key role in this innovative and humane approach.”
CARE Court begins accepting petitions tomorrow, December 1. Petitions can be submitted electronically through any electronic filing service provider listed at www.lacourt.org/division/efiling/civil_providers.aspx, or in person at any location listed at www.lacourt.org/CARE. Individuals who are represented by an attorney must file petitions electronically, while individuals without an attorney may file petitions electronically or in person.
For more information about the services provided by LACDMH, please visit: dmh.lacounty.gov/get-help-now/ or call the toll-free number at 1-800-854-7771, where you can request service referrals, crisis assessments, field-based services and an emotional support warmline. The number is staffed 24/7 and has designated personnel to meet the needs of those who served in the military.
Interested parties can also call or text 988 to connect with someone through the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which provides supports to those who are in crisis or experiencing emotional distress. This service is available 24/7 throughout the U.S. via phone calls, text messaging, or online chat. Finally, you can text ‘LA’ to 741741 to connect with a trained crisis counselor via text message.