Just months after the passage of Measure A — a landmark voter-approved initiative to increase tax revenue for homelessness initiatives in Los Angeles — the LA County Homeless Initiative has proposed deep budget cuts, including a 78% funding cut for the LA:RISE program starting next year. In total, their proposed budget allocates less than 0.3% for employment and workforce development programs.
While housing, mental health, and substance abuse services are essential to addressing LA’s homelessness crisis, excluding workforce and employment solutions from the equation (both as a prevention strategy and as a foundation for long-term stability after housing) is a glaring oversight. Without intentional programs like LA:RISE, housing alone cannot address the significant challenges unhoused individuals face when it comes to attaining quality jobs or long-term stability.
At REDF, we are proud to manage the award-winning LA:RISE program and know its impact on individuals, families, and neighborhoods is felt throughout the County of Los Angeles. LA:RISE makes a significant contribution in our community in four clear ways — all of which are threatened by the proposed budget cuts:
1. LA:RISE provides paid transitional employment and pathways to long-term jobs for thousands of Angelenos
Since its inception, LA:RISE has equipped more than 9,500 individuals with the support they need to thrive through transitional employment, skills training, and comprehensive wraparound services. In 2024 alone, LA:RISE supported over 1,200 individuals with paid transitional employment and pathways to long-term, competitive jobs. A funding cut of this magnitude would result in 600 fewer jobs for individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
2. LA:RISE builds the employment social enterprise ecosystem in Los Angeles
LA:RISE’s strength lies in its 39 partners across Los Angeles, including employment social enterprises (ESEs) Chrysalis, Downtown Women’s Center, Homeboy Industries, Anti-Recidivism Coalition, LGBT Center, Goodwill, LA Conservation Corps, CRCD, and others. As Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has said, “By combining jobs, training, and services, ESEs are helping to ensure that all Angelenos have access to economic opportunity, housing, and safe communities.”
These cuts would harm the social enterprises that make this program possible, threatening their ability to sustain operations and continue their transformative work.
3. Employment social enterprises transform lives & strengthen the local economy
LA:RISE’s ESE partners transform lives, strengthen the local economy, and promote healthier, more equitable communities. Over 4,700 people in the Los Angeles area have achieved competitive, unsubsidized employment through the LA:RISE program.
And these wins are backed by research that demonstrates that when ESEs thrive, our communities benefit. People who have been employed by ESEs see an immediate increase of 33% in earnings and experience seven years of increased employment and income. And each dollar invested in employment social enterprise delivers a $2.23 return for our community.
4. LA:RISE unlocks federal funding for Los Angeles
A key innovation of LA:RISE is its ability to unlock additional resources for the Los Angeles community. This includes matching funds from social enterprise business revenue and reimbursements through public sector programs like CalFresh Employment & Training. In the last fiscal year, LA:RISE funding helped generate over $347K in federal reimbursements for LA County’s Department of Economic Opportunity and over $3.1M in reimbursements for service providers.
LA:RISE is a partnership that works — for employment social enterprises, individuals, families, and our communities. Budget cuts would not only stall our progress to date, but weaken broader workforce development efforts in Los Angeles.
A comprehensive approach to ending homelessness in Los Angeles must include pathways to economic independence. Alongside our LA:RISE partners, REDF will continue to advocate for funding for this transformative program. We urge the Los Angeles County Homeless Initiative and the Board of Supervisors to invest in what works. If you live in Los Angeles County and believe in the power of employment as a key lever in the fight against homelessness, then please reach out to your County Supervisor (contact info here) to help advocate for the restoration of these funds.
Check back here for more information on developments related to LA:RISE.
