A Roadmap for Phased Implementation of an Older Adult Housing Pilot in Los Angeles County

This report offers a multi-year implementation framework for a pilot program targeting all homeless older adults (65+ years old) to the County of Los Angeles, using cross-sector data to better understand the geography and specific needs of this growing population. The implementation framework provided builds on an earlier report prepared in March 2020 by the CEO’s Office of Homeless Initiative, which outlines the basic contours for an Older Adult Housing Pilot. Notably, this report represents deliberations and the realities of Los Angeles County’s homeless services system prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and these constraints are acknowledged and explored throughout.

Content of the report includes programmatic components, funding sources, health care savings demonstrations, staffing and relationship building, and administrative considerations. Cost savings are calculated using the County’s integrated data on health care utilization and estimating one- and three-year costs associated with service access.

Conducted by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and University of California Los Angeles, this roadmap demonstrates how academics and government officials can collaborate to tackle emerging crises and provide context-specific support to vulnerable populations.