People who were previously incarcerated are nearly ten times more likely to be unhoused than those who have not spent time in jail or prison. LA County faces one of the most complex reentry challenges in the country: the convergence of a severe housing crisis with the largest jail system in the United States.
While compounded by LA’s housing crisis, individuals leaving jail in Los Angeles County experience the same challenges as those in many major cities, including poor credit history, prohibitive application fees and security deposits, public housing restrictions, background checks, landlord bias, and parole or probation conditions that limit their housing options. This report by Abt Global explores currently available programs and services that prevent immediate homelessness at the time of release, highlights recent shifts in policy, and identifies opportunities for improvement.
Authors point out that LA County has made recent, important strides to support individuals at risk of homelessness following incarceration including the creation of a dedicated agency to lead these efforts: the Justice Care and Opportunities Department (JCOD), an independent department that began operations in November 2022. JCOD and the Office of Diversion and Reentry (ODR) share responsibility for LA County’s reentry population, along with outside programs that fill in gaps for certain populations.