Providers urge the committee to preserve access centers as funding lapses threaten vital services

Frontline homelessness providers told the Housing and Homelessness Committee on April 10 that closures or defunding of City access centers would remove essential triage and services and create cascading costs for emergency response.

Speakers representing the county, service providers and advocacy groups called for immediate action and transparency on contract payments. "Access centers in the city of LA will no longer be funded as of July 1," Ben K., a director at SSG and chair of the LA CoC board, told the committee, urging support for item 10 to produce a timely report.

The Downtown Women’s Center described concrete service volumes to illustrate stakes: "Just at DWC’s Access Center last year, 3,500 unique women received over 100,000 meals, over 17,000 showers and 753 medical appointments," a representative said. Providers warned that losing $338,000 in local staff funding and other reductions would eliminate the hub function that converts outreach and crisis response into long-term housing navigation.

Other providers offered site-level data and personal rescue stories: Harbor Interfaith Services reported 1,500 participants this year with 515 enrollments and 181 positive exits; Watts Labor Community Action Committee described staff-administered overdose reversals and life-saving interventions at access centers. Multiple speakers urged the committee to approve the CLA/CLA motion to report on access center outcomes (item 10), which was included on the consent calendar and approved.

Committee response and action: Item 10 (motion instructing CLA to report on access center utilization and outcomes) was placed on the consent calendar and approved as part of consent items (Raman yes, Blumenfield aye, McCusker yes). The committee also directed staff to prioritize a written report in advance of budget discussions to inform decisions on July 1 funding and potential closures.

Why it matters: Providers said access centers are more than intake points — they absorb crisis shocks, prevent costly 911 usage, and connect people to housing and services. Multiple speakers warned that continued payment delays and defunding would push people into higher-cost emergency systems and away from pathways to housing.

Next steps: CLA/CLA/LHD were instructed to bring the requested access-center outcomes report before the committee in time to inform budget deliberations; staff follow-up was scheduled for April 15 and in the CEO’s budget workstreams.