Wave Staff Report
DOWNEY — Los Angeles County’s Pathway Home program brought more than 60 people experiencing homelessness who had been living along the San Gabriel River into safe interim housing.
The unhoused people were living along the river in the cities of Bellflower, Downey and Norwalk. They are receiving supportive services and other resources to help them transition out of homelessness and into permanent housing.
The latest Pathway Home operation continues the county’s emergency response to resolve encampments, return community areas to their intended use and ensure people experiencing homelessness are not in dangerous areas, such as flood channels.
“In the wake of unprecedented wildfires, we have mobilized an enormous amount of staff and resources to ensure everyone who has been displaced or lost their home has shelter — and frankly we need to bring that same sense of urgency to our longstanding homelessness crisis,”county Supervisor Janice Hahn said. “This Pathway Home operation … is one of the largest encampment resolutions we have conducted and it wouldn’t be possible without the partnership and cooperation of leaders in each of these cities.”
At a time when devastating wildfires continue to threaten entire communities in Los Angeles and people experiencing homelessness are facing exceptional challenges, Los Angeles County remains committed to bringing people off the streets and into safe interim housing. The latest Pathway Home operation was planned for several weeks and did not affect county resources committed to the fire emergency.
The Downey, Norwalk, and Bellflower operation is the county’s 30th Pathway Home encampment resolution since the inception of the program in August 2023. The program aims to bring entire encampments inside together using local motels as interim housing. More than 1,000 Los Angeles County residents have been brought indoors through Pathway Home, and more than 200 of whom are now permanently housed and no longer experiencing homelessness. Meanwhile, 624 recreational vehicles have been taken off the streets.
The Los Angeles County Homeless Initiative collaborated with the office of Supervisor Hahn, the city of Bellflower, the city of Downey, and the city of Norwalk to conduct the Pathway Home operation on Jan. 15 and 16.
On Jan. 15, Hahn, Downey Mayor Hector Sosa, and Bellflower City Councilman Victor Sanchez joined county outreach workers in Downey’s Rio San Gabriel Park, which became home base for the Pathway Home operation.
The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority and the nonprofit service provider PATH were essential to bringing unsheltered residents indoors as they had built trusting relationships with them by providing engagement and support during their unhoused experience. Whittier First Day and the Department of Health Services Housing for Health will continue to work with them at the motel operating as their interim housing location with comprehensive supportive services and, ultimately, safe permanent homes.
The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, Department of Health Services, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homeless Outreach Services Team, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works and Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control also were critical partners in the operation, along with Caltrans.
Pathway Home has been funded primarily through Measure H, a one-quarter cent sales tax approved by county voters in 2017 to prevent and address homelessness. Starting July 1, Pathway Home will receive funds from Measure A, a half-cent sales tax approved by voters in November to replace Measure H. With Measure H funds to date, the county has placed more than 115,000 people into permanent housing, ending their homelessness. It has connected 151,000 people with safe interim housing, prevented 37,000 people from becoming homeless and provided many more people with a diverse array of supportive services.
