Mayor Karen Bass has secured $7.8 million from the Los Angeles City Council to support a residential drug treatment pilot program for homeless individuals. However, some council members are frustrated with the lack of information about how the funds will be utilized.
The vote to approve the funding was passed with a majority of 12-1, with Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez being the sole dissenter and Councilmen Paul Krekorian and Curren Price absent from the meeting.
The drug treatment program, which will provide services for up to one year, is funded by the 2023-24 city budget, which includes $23.5 million from the Opioid Settlement and Tobacco Settlement. Originally, the mayor’s office requested $23.4 million from these accounts to develop a program that offers longer substance use disorder treatment cycles for unhoused residents.
Councilman Bob Blumenfield, chair of the Council’s Budget and Finance Committee, emphasized the importance of the mayor’s goals. He stated, “We need to take action against drug addiction and mental health, even though these issues are primarily handled by the county. We want to demonstrate what can be achieved by extending the duration of treatment for individuals.”
Blumenfield also acknowledged that substance use is a significant problem within the homeless population, which has not been adequately addressed. He mentioned that the council doesn’t typically handle such issues, making it even more crucial for them to tackle this problem effectively.
Following extensive negotiations, the budget committee reached a compromise. They agreed to allocate one-third of the funds without specific details, but with the understanding that the mayor’s office would provide those details in the future.
A “side report” was submitted by the mayor’s office before the council meeting, although Blumenfield admitted he hadn’t read it yet. He expressed his willingness to review and discuss the report in the committee.
“At the mayor’s request, I am comfortable moving forward with one-third of the funding without complete details, relying on the information provided in this report we haven’t seen yet,” said Blumenfield.
However, Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez, another member of the budget committee, opposed the request. She objected to allocating resources without sufficient information, stating, “I don’t believe we should fund programs without any details. This recurring pattern of last-minute transmissions is unacceptable.”
The report, available at bit.ly/47cp0ed, provides an overview of the pilot program’s design, implementation, and evaluation. Eligibility for the program will be assessed for homeless individuals transitioning to indoor facilities or interim housing options like Tiny Home Villages, A Bridge to Home, and Project Home Key.
The mayor’s office will collaborate closely with council district offices and contracted agencies/service providers managing interim housing sites to identify individuals who are willing and ready to undergo inpatient treatment for substance abuse.
The report states that participants will be presented with five treatment centers across the city that are state-certified and provide both substance use and mental health treatment. These centers hold contracts with L.A. County. The cost of participants’ treatment services will be covered by their eligible benefits, such as Medi-Cal. However, if their benefits end or are denied by the state, the city will reimburse the treatment providers for additional time and services.
The treatment process will last at least six to nine months, including withdrawal, residential treatment, and recovery housing. Treatment centers will be required to submit biweekly reports.
Furthermore, the mayor’s office plans to evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot program by collecting data on various metrics, such as the number of referrals, participants admitted to inpatient treatment, participants leaving the program, number of participants successfully housed, and the average cost per participant.
Councilman Kevin de León reluctantly supported the expenditure due to the severe prevalence of fentanyl and meth overdoses in his district. While he shared some concerns about the lack of details, he emphasized the importance of spending the funds strategically to address the crisis at hand.
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