Wave Staff Report
LOS ANGELES — At a time when more than 3,000 family households are experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County, family solutions centers have become critical hubs connecting thousands of families with urgent services.
However, due to state and federal funding cuts to homelessness and housing programs, many centers faced potential closures.
Thanks to a rapid joint initiative between the United Way of Greater Los Angeles and the Los Angeles County Departments of Homeless Services and Housing and Public Social Services, the county’s network of family solutions centers will remain fully operational, providing continuous support for families through the end of the 2026-27 fiscal year.
The Home for Good Funders Collaborative, a philanthropic coalition led by the United Way of Greater Los Angeles, is awarding $680,600 to community-based service providers that operate family solutions centers in Metro Los Angeles, Southeast Los Angeles, the Westside, South Bay, Antelope Valley, San Fernando Valley, and the San Gabriel Valley. This boost supplements the county’s $2 million investment, ensuring all eight family solutions centers can continue to provide families with the individualized support they need to regain housing stability.
“The Department of Homeless Services and Housing was established on the belief that we can achieve better outcomes when we work together across systems instead of in silos,” said Department Director Sarah Mahin. “Our partnership with the United Way of Greater Los Angeles and the Department of Public Social Services reflects that commitment. Together, we are leveraging our collective strengths to ensure families continue receiving the support they need while building a more responsive, coordinated homeless response system for all Los Angeles County residents.”
“Lasting solutions require strong partnerships. Family solutions centers embody that collaborative approach, coordinating access to housing, public benefits, employment services, and community-based supports,” said Jackie Contreras, director of the county Department of Public Social Services. “No family should have to navigate this alone. [Our department] is proud to partner with [Homeless Services and Housing], United Way of Greater Los Angeles, and our community providers to bridge access to needed services.”
In addition to its investment in family solutions centers , the Funders Collaborative is awarding $350,000 to service providers operating the county’s seven access centers located outside the city of Los Angeles. This funding supplements an investment from the city of Los Angeles to keep the county’s network of 16 access centers fully operational through the end of fiscal year 2026-27. Access centers are key entry points for adults experiencing homelessness to access emergency support and referrals to housing.
“Amid devastating cuts to critical services that keep families housed and safe, this partnership shows what’s possible when philanthropy and government come together to respond swiftly to urgent community needs,” said Elise Buik, president and CEO of United Way of Greater Los Angeles. “We’re proud to stand alongside Los Angeles County to ensure families can continue accessing the support they need today while we advance long-term solutions to prevent and end family homelessness.”
The partnership between the public and private sectors aligns resources to help sustain day-to-day operations to better support vulnerable county residents. At family solutions centers, this means ensuring families seeking support can continue to access crucial services without disruption.
Funding for the centers will immediately support outreach and assessment, intake and enrollment, and connections to housing and supportive services based on the household’s identified needs. Those can include housing and benefits navigation, connections to mental and physical health care, substance use disorder treatment, and employment resources.
“The family solutions center serves as the front door to housing stability, connecting families with immediate basic needs, public benefits, housing navigation, and coordinated support before a temporary crisis becomes irreversible,” said Sarah Perry, chief executive officer of Valley Oasis, a family solutions center in the Antelope Valley. “Without this center, many parents would be forced to travel 50 to 60 miles to access similar services, an impossible hurdle for families already struggling to make ends meet.
“This partnership demonstrates what is possible when philanthropy and government work together to ensure every family, regardless of their ZIP code, has access to the support they need to remain safely housed,” Perry added.
For vulnerable families with children navigating the system, family solution centers provide a lifeline and pathway to newfound stability.
“In October 2025, I was going through one of the most difficult times in my life,” Destiny Ruiz said. “Due to pregnancy-related medical complications, I had to take an extended leave from work, which caused me to lose a significant amount of income. As a result, I fell behind on my rent for August, September, and October and was terrified that I was going to lose my home.
“When I connected with Valley Oasis, everything began to change,” she added. “Their staff enrolled me in the homelessness prevention program, paid off my past-due rent, and provided five additional months of rental assistance. Because of their support, I was able to remain in my home, focus on my health, and prepare for the birth of my baby without the constant fear of becoming homeless.”
