Being in Miami, homelessness is particularly “close to home”. It is always interesting to see how different place tackle the many issues associated with this homelessness. Affordable housing is one great place to start!

Look for more post in the coming days addressing Homelessness. National Homelessness Awareness Week is November 14th-22nd. Also, on Veterans Day (Nov. 11th) I will have a big post addressing veterans and homelessness.

“To address growing homelessness in the region, Los Angeles County supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to gradually set aside up to $100 million a year to construct and maintain affordable housing.

The move was hailed by business leaders, anti-poverty advocates and nonprofit housing developers, but the price tag drew concerns from some about whether the county can afford it.

Supervisors Sheila Kuehl and Mark Ridley-Thomas proposed creating the housing fund, which will start with $20 million next year. The county’s annual contribution will grow over the next five years until it reaches $100 million.

Supervisor Don Knabe initially objected, saying the county faces uncertainties and other potential big-ticket spending requirements over the next five years, including federal requirements for reform in the county jails.

Rather than setting aside a set dollar figure, Knabe proposed that the county tap 20% of the money left over at the end of each budget year, which he estimated would come out to $28 million a year, for the next five years. After that, the county would set aside 20% of property tax revenues that would have gone to redevelopment agencies before the state dissolved them in 2012……….”

http://www.latimes.com/local/countygovernment/la-me-housing-money-20151027-story.html

Here is the American Planning Assicuation’s Homelessness Policy Guide: homelessness APA