LA County Launches Online Platform To Find, Assist Homeless In Need

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – Los Angeles County Thursday launched a new online platform through which members of the public can notify authorities regarding specific homeless people in their neighborhood who need immediate help.

The portal, known as LA-HOP, allows residents to fill out a quick outreach form requesting help for "vulnerable residents living on the street," according to the Los Angeles County Homeless Initiative.

An outreach coordinator will then deploy a team to that area to help the homeless individuals in need.

"Due to high demand, it may take a few days for an outreach team to be deployed; coordinators will prioritize those individuals who are most vulnerable," LACHI said in a news release. "With nearly 40,000 people living on the streets of LA County, the need for outreach services is great."

LA-HOP is funded by Measure H, which was passed by L.A. County voters in March 2017. Measure H increased the sales tax by a quarter-cent in order to generate an estimated $355 million annually for 10 years to fund a variety of programs to combat homelessness.

"With just a few taps on a cell phone, LA-HOP makes it easier to request help for people experiencing homelessness on the streets of L.A. County," L.A. County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas said in a statement. "This innovative tool will help us deploy our street outreach teams where they are most needed, so they can begin building relationships with our homeless neighbors and offer to connect them to services and housing."

It was designed jointly by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, L.A. County Health Care Agency and LACHI.