Federal Agency Awards County $74M for Homeless Programs

Los Angeles County has received almost $74 million for homeless services from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority announced on Wednesday.

The money was awarded to the agency to help bolster 203 of its community-based homeless programs throughout the city and county of Los Angeles. 

According to the 2011 Homeless Count, there are about 20 homeless individuals who stay within the city borders.

Read about recent homeless issues in Glendora:

City Council Approves Homeless Shelter Zoning

Glendora Churches Host Hundreds of Homeless

Glendora’s Homeless: Community Finds Ways to ‘Coexist’

"These funds are critical to our ability to provide desperately needed housing assistance and accompanying supportive services to those experiencing homelessness," Michael Arnold, LAHSA executive director, said in a statement.

HUD funding helps the agency connect homeless people living on the streets with housing and services. It also helps to provides long term rental assistance to physically or mentally disabled formerly homeless people.

Last year, some 5,200 homeless people in the county were put into housing programs, about 92 percent of them were stably housed, according to LAHSA. 

The federal housing agency awarded the state of California more than $243 million last week to fund 800 of its homeless programs.