Last week, the Los Angeles City Council voted to approve its Comprehensive Homeless Strategy, a detailed set of plans outlining steps to end homelessness at a local level.
The City’s plan includes a budget of $1.85 billion on tackling homelessness over the next decade, including a large investment in affordable housing, expanded case management and services, and increased permanent supportive housing options for chronically homeless individuals.
At the Downtown Women’s Center, we were thrilled to see the plan approved. And thanks to YOUR advocacy and support, it includes a strategy specifically on women. “Strategy 9K – Women’s Homelessness and Domestic Violence” addresses the unique needs of women and calls for more supportive services and housing for women as well as more research on women experiencing homelessness and survivors of domestic violence.
Now that the City’s plan has passed, the next step is crucial – ensuring that the plan and Strategy 9K are fully funded in the city’s 2016-2017 fiscal year budget.
We need your help in advocating for full funding of the plan and of Strategy 9K. Here’s what you can do:
Tell Mayor Garcetti and your City Councilmember why LA City’s strategy on women’s homelessness must be fully funded and prioritized for the 2016-2017 fiscal year. Use our sample emails below or write your own to Mayor Garcetti and the City Councilmember in your district.
MAYOR GARCETTI
To provide feedback to Mayor Garcetti about the City’s Comprehensive Homeless Strategy, head here or call 213-978-0600.
Dear Mayor Garcetti,
I am thrilled that the Los Angeles City Council has approved the Comprehensive Homelessness Strategy. Now that this historic plan has passed, I urge you to fully fund the plan in the amount of $100 million in the 2016-2017 city budget.
I also urge you to fully fund Strategy 9K on women’s homelessness and include it in the implementation for the 2016-2017 fiscal year. There are more than 25,600 homeless individuals living in the city of Los Angeles. Of that number, more than 8,100 (32 percent) are women. Los Angeles has an opportunity to become a national leader in recognizing that appropriate housing and services for women experiencing homelessness will make a huge impact through fully funding implementation of Strategy 9K.
Thank you for your leadership on this critical step forward in our city.
CITY COUNCIL
To determine your district’s City Councilmember, visit the Council Directory.
Dear City Councilmember,
Thank you so much for passing this historic plan to end homelessness in Los Angeles.
In addition to the plan being approved, I am thrilled to see a strategy on Women’s Homelessness included in the final version. The experiences and vulnerabilities of homeless women are unique, and thus require specific attention, services, and funding.
Today, Los Angeles has an opportunity to become a national leader in recognizing that appropriate housing and services for women experiencing homelessness will make a huge impact. To that end, I urge the City of Los Angeles to fully fund Strategy 9K on women’s homelessness and include it in 2016-2017 budget.