Los Angeles, California – Los Angeles County’s newly approved homelessness budget includes tens of millions in cuts to established services, with one of the largest reductions hitting LA:RISE, the region’s primary workforce development program for the homeless. The program’s funding will drop by 78%, from $8.4 million last year to less than $1.8 million for the upcoming fiscal year, drastically reducing its capacity to serve those in need.
LA:RISE partners with 40 organizations, including Homeboy Industries, Goodwill, and Downtown Women’s Center, to provide temporary paid work, job training, and support for thousands of unhoused or at-risk Angelenos. Advocates for the program argue that workforce development is essential in breaking the cycle of homelessness and called the cuts a short-sighted move that will limit long-term stability for many individuals.
“Reducing the role of workforce development and employment in this budget eliminates the possibility of solving homelessness at its root,” said Greg Ericksen of REDF, which manages the program. “It reduces the odds of long-term stability after housing.”…