The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday is expected to consider a proposal aimed at streamlining homelessness prevention services, including assistance for residents displaced by the Eaton and Palisades fires.
A motion by Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Lindsey Horvath calls for the creation of a countywide homelessness prevention resource page on the county website, and a coordinated referral system designed to connect residents with housing assistance before they lose their homes.
According to the motion, many wildfire survivors remain in temporary housing arrangements while rebuilding homes destroyed in the January 2025 fires. Supporters of the proposal said many residents face growing financial pressure as federal aid, insurance benefits and other temporary assistance programs begin to expire.
“Fire survivors are now simultaneously carrying a mortgage on a destroyed home and paying rent elsewhere, with insurance payouts that are delayed or insufficient to cover full rebuilding costs, which places fixed-income homeowners, and seniors in particular, at acute risk of housing instability and potential homelessness,” the motion states.
The proposal would direct county agencies to develop a publicly accessible website identifying available homelessness prevention services, including rental assistance, mortgage relief, legal aid, utility assistance and housing navigation programs.
The motion also calls for outreach to fire-affected communities in Altadena, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Topanga and Sunset Mesa to ensure residents are aware of available assistance programs.
In addition, county departments would be directed to develop recommendations for a coordinated homelessness prevention referral system intended to help residents access services before a housing crisis escalates.
The motion states that homelessness prevention programs are generally less costly than providing shelter, interim housing or permanent supportive housing after a person becomes homeless.