December 9th, 2009
Where We Sleep: Costs When Homeless and Housed in Los Angeles has been published by the Economic Roundtable.
This report examines the public costs and benefits of housing people in L.A. County as opposed to having them be homeless. This study involves over 10,000 homeless adults in L.A. County. The report details the costs of homelessness (use of public agencies and services-such as Sheriff’s Office, paramedics, public health services, mental health services and outpatient services) as well as costs of formerly homeless people now living in supportive housing, and those receiving rent subsidies. The report is set against the backdrop and context of other studies across the nation that have documented cost savings in , moving homeless persons off the street and into stable housing. The costs are documented by gender, age, work experience, substance abuse history, race/ethnicity, and language and nativity status. Policy interventions are also recommended in the report.
Selected Findings:
- The average monthly cost for supportive housing residents is $605, compared to $2,897 for a person homeless/not housed. The savings for a supportive housing resident is therefore about $2,291 per person (pg. 26).
- The average monthly supportive housing costs of residents with a substance abuse problem are 50% higher than those without a substance abuse issue (pg. 27).
- The average costs savings for housing a person with a documented case of HIV/AIDS was $3,125 (pg. 25).
- More than two-thirds of the public savings (69%) due to housing someone in supportive housing comes from savings on health care related expenses [for example, the use of hospitals, clinics, and emergency rooms] (pg. 2).
