Stemming the rise of Latinx homelessness: lessons from Los Angeles County

ABSTRACT

This report describes a needs assessment of Latinx persons at-risk for or who are actively homeless in Los Angeles County. We conducted interviews with stakeholders (n = 24) who work in homeless services, research, and policy. Themes from these interviews were categorized into domains along the continuum of homeless services. Language barriers and citizenship/documentation status impeded Latinxs’ success in the rental market, increasing risk of homelessness. To engage Latinxs in outreach and services, use of familiar, local, and culturally competent institutions was described as critical. Shelters were underutilized due to concerns of family separation, or misconceptions about shelter use among non-citizen Latinxs. Rapid rehousing mechanisms were poorly suited for Latinx immigrants with limited access to public resources. To increase housing resources, engaging local providers who can obtain community buy-in for affordable housing was described as important. Overall, tailored services from trusted agencies in the Latinx community are critical to address service disparities.

KEYWORDS:

• Homelessness
• Latinxs
• immigrants
• Latino
• homeless services

Acknowledgments

This project was supported by the University of California, Los Angeles’ Latino Public Policy Initiative. Dr. Chinchilla was supported by Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Priscilla King Gray Public Service Center and VA Office of Academic Affiliations through the Health Service Research and Development Post-Doctoral Fellowship. Dr. Gabrielian was supported in part by VA HSR&D CDA 15-074. The contents do not represent the views of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or the United States Government.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Melissa Chinchilla, PhD, MCP, MS, is a Research Scientist at AltaMed Institute for Health Equity and was previously a Post-Doctoral Fellow in Health Services Research and Development at the Veteran Administration of Greater Los Angeles. She earned her doctorate in Urban Studies and Planning from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a masters in City and Regional Planning from the University of California, Berkeley, and a masters in Health Policy Management from the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Chinchilla’s research rests at the intersection of housing, health, and community development.

Sonya Gabrielian, MD, MPH, is a psychiatrist and health services researcher at the VA Greater Los Angeles and UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. She is the Acting VA Research Director of the VA/UCLA Center of Excellence for Veteran Resilience and Recovery; an investigator at the VA HSR&D Los Angeles Center of Innovation and the VISN22 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center; an Affiliated Researcher at the National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans; and an Assistant Professor in the UCLA Department of Psychiatry. Her research and clinical practice aim to improve housing retention and community functioning among homeless persons with serious mental illness.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.