In 2014, the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services’ Housing for Health Division, in partnership with other governmental partners and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, launched the Flexible Housing Subsidy Pool (FHSP), a permanent rental subsidy program for people experiencing homelessness who have complex physical and behavioral health conditions. The FHSP serves as a permanent rental subsidy drawn from a nimble, responsive pool of funding paired with Intensive Case Management Services to help clients achieve and maintain health and housing stability. Communities across the country have and continue to look to Los Angeles and the FHSP model as they develop responsive, flexible housing programs that meet the needs of their community members.
As part of a larger evaluation of our Homelessness Initiative, Abt Associates revisited its 2017 examination of the FHSP. This report provides an updated description of the FHSP’s current implementation and highlights the key characteristics of this housing assistance model. It also describes lessons learned during the first years of the program and offers recommendations for other state or local governments that may be considering replicating the program in their own communities.