October is National Homeless Youth Awareness Month (NHYAM), also known as Youth HOPE Month—a time to raise awareness about youth homelessness, outreach, prevention, and education. For years, 211 LA has been at the forefront of connecting unhoused youth and families to essential services, offering support that can make a life-changing difference.
As the primary hotline for Los Angeles County’s unhoused community, 211 LA works around the clock to assist those needing shelter, outreach services, crisis intervention, and more. For the unhoused community, particularly youth and unhoused families with small children, 211 LA is often the first point of contact in their search for safety, shelter, and resources. Through our partnerships with local organizations like the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), we have established a wide-reaching network of services aimed at helping the most vulnerable populations.
211 LA’s Essential Services for the Unhoused
At 211 LA, our work never stops. We operate 24/7, connecting people to life-saving services when they need them most. Our team is trained to assess individual circumstances and link people with community resources that offer shelter, food, medical care, and more. From winter shelters to homeless outreach programs, we collaborate with local organizations to help ensure that no one is left behind.
Emergency Shelter Referrals
One of the most essential services we provide is connecting individuals to emergency shelters. With the support of LAHSA, we maintain a directory and provide connections to year-round shelters for single individuals, and although we cannot guarantee immediate shelter placement, we work tirelessly to identify and secure safe spaces. We also manage the Winter Shelter Program, a seasonal service offering additional shelter space during colder months. When there is inclement weather, we may be activated by LAHSA to coordinate with pop-up shelter providers and motels and arrange transportation for unhoused individuals on a first-come, first-serve basis for these limited resources.
Support for Families and Children
The Bringing Families Home (BFH) program, funded by DCFS, utilizes 211 LA Care Coordinators to provide screenings to families who are unhoused or at risk of becoming unhoused, with minor children who have been referred by the children’s social worker. Services include an assessment, referrals, connection to housing service providers, and follow-up support.
211 LA is a partner in the Coordinated Entry System for Families (CESF) and our role is to connect families and pregnant women to the CESF housing provider network. 211 LA’s role is to pre-screen families connecting them with the designated CESF Families Solution Center (FSC) and provide after-hours/holiday crisis housing motel vouchers and transportation.
Problem-Solving Services
211 LA also offers Problem-Solving services, where trained care coordinators work with families with minor children and/or pregnant women to identify creative solutions for resolving housing crises without entering the homeless service system. By facilitating conversations and providing resources like rent relief, move-in assistance, or gas cards, we help families maintain their current housing or explore safe alternatives. Families with minor children and/or pregnant women can access Problem-Solving by dialing 2-1-1.
Homeless Outreach Initiative (LA-HOP)
Through the LA-HOP program, we respond to reports of unhoused individuals or encampments, dispatching LAHSA outreach teams to provide assistance and resources. These teams address urgent needs and work to connect unhoused individuals with the services they require to stabilize their situation. LA-HOP can be accessed online at https://www.lahsa.org/portal/apps/la-hop/ or by calling 2-1-1.
What 211 LA Cannot Provide:
While 211 LA offers an extensive range of services, there are limitations to our support:
- We do not directly place individuals into housing or emergency shelters but work closely with housing and coordinated entry service partners to connect people to these limited resources.
- While 211 LA provides after-hour crisis housing motel vouchers for families with minor children and/or pregnant women, these resources are limited, and we cannot guarantee voucher availability.
- Due to high demand and limited shelter availability, we cannot guarantee immediate shelter placement, though we work tirelessly to secure safe spaces.
- Our care coordination focuses on short-term interventions, with long-term case management provided by our partnering organizations.
- 211 LA does not have outreach staff and works with LAHSA through LA-HOP to identify where outreach is needed but we do not deploy outreach staff nor do we have access to information about the timing of outreach visits connected with specific LA-HOP reports.
211 LA’s Impact on the Unhoused Community
While numbers alone do not capture the full scope of 211 LA’s impact, they illustrate the critical role we play in addressing homelessness across Los Angeles County. People experiencing homelessness often face significant barriers to accessing essential services. 211 LA offers a direct conversation with a live person, which can be crucial to providing immediate, empathetic support and tailored assistance. Unhoused people not only seek services such as emergency shelter and housing support but also food assistance, income and employment services, mental health resources, and more. By facilitating live communication, 211 LA can better assess individual needs, build trust, and ensure the most vulnerable populations receive the comprehensive support they need. Our work has touched tens of thousands of lives, offering not just immediate support but hope for a better future.
2023 Unhoused Community Data:
- 169,103 (35%) of total contacts to 211 LA were identified as unhoused
- 84,622 contacts (50%) were from unhoused females, with 34% identifying as single and 16% having children
- 50,833 contacts (30%) were from unhoused males
Top Service Needs For Unhoused Callers:
- 42,759 requests for Emergency Shelter
- 38,774 requests for Housing Counseling/Search Assistance
- 16,412 requests for Transitional Shelter/Housing
- 7,248 requests for Homeless Support Services
- 4,463 inquiries regarding Information Lines/Websites
Unhoused Family Services:
- Bringing Families Home served 788 families in 2023 (up from 476 in 2022)
- Coordinated Entry System for Families (CESF) pre-screened 21,765 families and issued 3,733 crisis housing motel vouchers in 2023
- Problem Solving assisted families with 1,330 guided conversations, where 166 of those conversations resulted in families resolving their housing crisis through Problem Solving interventions.
Shelter and Outreach Impact:
- 97,277 contacts handled for year-round, winter, and augmented winter shelters
- 1,266 outreach requests received through the LA-HOP portal
Dial 2-1-1 for Help Anytime.
No matter your situation or background, 211 LA is here to provide support. Whether you need emergency shelter, help for your family, or resources to avoid homelessness, 211 LA’s dedicated team is ready to assist 24/7. If you or someone you know is in need, simply dial 2-1-1. We’re here to help—no matter the circumstances.
