The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors selected a new homeless agency director on Tuesday, turning to executives who praised staff members for 20 years of experience helping people get out of the streets.
In a unanimous vote, the supervisor approved a $375,000 annual salary with Sarah Mahin for her to lead the Homeless Services and Housing Authority, which will officially be launched on January 1st.
The supervisor voted to establish a new division earlier this year, saying he wants more accountability than homeless spending flowing through many of the joint counties of urban counties, the Los Angeles Department of Homeless Services, today.
Mahin currently works in the county and has been director of the Ministry of Health Services’ Housing for Health Program since 2020. Authorities see it as a model for what comes next.
Launched in 2012, the program focuses on helping people with housing and complex medical needs. It employs more than 600 people on a budget of $875 million a year.
Services offered include outreach, rental subsidies, interim housing beds and a wide range of medical care.
Before serving as a health director housing, Mahin was Rasa’s Director of Policy and Systems, and also worked for the homeless Montgomery County Union.
“For me, this work is always rooted in innovation, collaboration and accountability for the people and communities we serve,” Mahin said in a statement. “I’m committed to bringing these values to the forefront.”
As director of the New County Homeless Agency, Mahin will be tasked with overseeing a wide range of realignments on how the county tackles homelessness.
In April, the Board of Supervisors voted to move hundreds of millions of dollars in county dollars from the Los Angeles Department of Homeless Services, or Lasa, and put it in the new agency.
The move follows two audits, reflecting years of criticism, and found that Lahsa lacks adequate oversight of the contract and program, leaving her vulnerable to waste and fraud.
By January 1, more than 700 county workers will be transferred to the new Homeless Services and Housing Authority, with hundreds from Lahasa participating six months later.
The new agency is expected to largely absorb the programme for Housing for Health, led by Mahin and has stopped being present as a separate division.
In a statement, manager Lindsey Horvas, who led the push for the new division, said Mahin’s experience in both the county and county is an asset as a transition from the old system.
“She’s exactly who we need and is ready to hit the ground running with the urgency this moment demands,” Horvath said.
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