LOS ANGELES — Months after establishing a dedicated entity for homeless services, the county Board of Supervisors has formally appointed Sarah Mahin as director of the Department of Homeless Services and Housing.
Mahin, a Georgetown University and University of Texas at Austin alumna, has worked in housing and homelessness for nearly two decades. She joined Housing for Health within the county’s Department of Health Services in April 2019, serving as director for six years.
In that role, Mahin oversaw a $875 million budget and managed a team of more than 600, according to Supervisor Lindsey Horvath’s office.
Mahin’s most recent position served as “the blueprint for the Department of Homeless Services and Housing,” the statement added.
In a major shift in L.A.’s homelessness strategy, the Board of Supervisors voted in April to cut funding from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority and create a new county-run department. The decision redirects hundreds of millions of dollars away from the authority, a joint city-county agency long criticized for mismanagement. Multiple audits and a recent federal court review faulted the authority for losing track of billions in taxpayer funds while failing to address the region’s homelessness crisis.
“I’m thrilled to welcome Sarah Mahin as director of our new County Department of Homeless Services and Housing,” Horvath said. “She’s exactly who we need, ready to hit the ground running with the urgency this moment demands.
“Sarah knows the county, she knows LAHSA, and she knows how to get things done. Her deep experience with contract management, data integration, and creating a culture of innovation and progress will be instrumental in charting a new way forward for homeless services in L.A. County,” Horvath added. “Sarah is a collaborative leader who will bring service providers and all of our city partners together in this vital effort.”
Horvath said Mahin’s experience will be critical as the county transitions funding from the homeless services authority.
“I am optimistic about the future of our county’s homelessness response with Sarah Mahin at the helm of our new department,” Board Chair Kathryn Barger said. “Sarah’s more than 20 years of leadership experience in housing and homeless services, along with her strong health and housing acumen, make her uniquely qualified to lead this effort from day one.”
Mahin’s appointment is effective immediately, with an annual salary of $375,000.
“I am honored to serve as the inaugural director of the Department of Homeless Services and Housing, and I am grateful to the Board of Supervisors,” Mahin said. “For me, this work has always been rooted in innovation collaboration, and accountability to the people and communities that we serve.
“I am committed to leading with those values at the forefront. Together — with housed and unhoused neighbors, frontline workers, community partners, and local leaders — we will build a department grounded in dignity, inclusion, and real solutions that meet this moment and the future.”
Mahin’s appointment was overwhelmingly supported by the Board of Supervisors, who formally approved the move at the July 8 board meeting.
“This is a moment to tackle our homelessness crisis in a new and innovative way,” Supervisor Janice Hahn said. “Sarah is ready to hit the ground running and with her knowledge of the county, I have no doubt that she will be able to steer this new department with the grace, know-how and authority it needs.”
Supervisor Hilda Solis praised Mahin’s appointment, highlighting her leadership in major county housing and health initiatives such as the Skid Row Action Plan, the Skid Row Care Campus and the Every Woman Housed program. Solis said Mahin’s work as director of Housing for Health has transformed services for vulnerable residents and laid the foundation for the new department she will now lead.
“I am confident she will not only advance comprehensive, person-centered solutions to homelessness but also be instrumental in strengthening partnerships with all 88 cities across Los Angeles County as we work together to end homelessness,” Solis said.
