L.A. Homeless Housing Program Gets Financial Boost Thanks to Health Net and Others

Date: 04/15/24

In April 2024, Health Net granted $1.3 million (PDF) to the Mayor's Fund for Los Angeles' We Are LA program. Health Net's gift, combined with $1.5 million given by The Bob & Dolores Hope Foundation pours $2.5 million into the We Are LA program. These gifts go a long way in helping to not only prevent housing evictions, but to connect people at risk of eviction to resources that can help them maintain stable housing.

"...I want to commend The Bob and Dolores Hope Foundation and Health Net for taking this courageous step and joining the effort," said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. "This is not a fight we will win if private philanthropy does not lock arms with us in this effort to provide the life-saving resources that Angelenos deserve."

Since it began in the summer of 2023, We Are LA has reached out to more than 411,000 at-risk Angelenos that include those who have received intended eviction notices.

"There were nearly 6,000 notices of eviction filed in March alone," said Conway Collis, president and CEO of the Mayor's Fund. "These are life-saving gifts that will help us prevent thousands of Angelenos – including many families and children – from falling into homelessness."

The program also offers a hotline and tenant resource clinics to help inform those who fear they may lose their home. Once the team connects with someone who wants help, caseworkers are assigned to provide it – helping to assess all the resources available to that person.

Martha Santana-Chin, president of Medi-Cal and Medicare at Health Net said, "We are proud to support the important work of We Are LA, which is creating tangible impacts in the lives of thousands of deserving Angelenos."

So far, the program has served more than 32,000 people (and families) to help them avoid eviction and stay housed. The Mayor's Fund has also recently teamed with U.S. VETS to help service veterans in Los Angeles. Plus, the Fund is launching new programs to serve at-risk groups, like former foster youth.

The hope is this proactive approach will continue to attract local investments from companies like Health Net that are eager to assist.

Adds Santana-Chin, "We will continue to invest in the communities we serve, aiming to transform the health of Californians, one person at a time."