LA County Briefs: $321 M Comes to LA for Mental Health Housing and Tax Help for RHE Landslide Victims

$321 Million in State Funds Coming to Los Angeles County for Mental Health Housing

LOS ANGELES —  The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors July 11 unanimously approved a motion authored by Chair Janice Hahn and coauthored by Supervisor Kathryn Barger to accept $321,189,238 in state funds for the creation of housing beds for unhoused people experiencing serious mental health and/or substance abuse challenges. The funds come from the state’s Behavioral Health Bridge Housing or BHBH Program, and will be prioritized for participants in the County’s Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment or CARE Court program which will launch this December. 

The vote authorizes the county’s Department of Mental Health to accept $259,280,749 in funds, and the Department of Public Health to accept $61,908,489. The departments are now able to move forward quickly with releasing the solicitation, entering into contracts with providers, and begin hiring as needed.

Los Angeles County is among the first cohort of counties expected to implement its CARE Court program, with an opening date of Dec. 1 of this year. CARE Court, which will operate out of the Los Angeles County Superior Courthouse in Norwalk, will serve people experiencing serious mental health disorders through court-ordered care that could include medications, wellness and recovery supports, and connection to social services and housing.

Assessor Offers Tax Help for Rolling Hills Estates Landslide Victims

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles County Assessor Jeff Prang this week met with property owners impacted by the Rolling Hills Estates landslide where at least a dozen homes have been red tagged as uninhabitable resulting in over a dozen families being displaced and the potential for more damage in the coming days.

Assessor Prang, along with experts from his office, met with property owners Monday afternoon in Rolling Hills Estates to explain the availability of tax relief. Assessor Prang explained that for those homeowners who have suffered damage or destruction from this landslide, or any other natural disaster, for that matter, such as earthquakes, floods or fires, they can apply to have the assessed value of their property – the value upon which their property taxes are based – reduced to reflect the damage. This property tax relief program is called the Misfortune & Calamity (M&C) program.

By filing a claim for M&C relief within one year of the incident, properties that have sustained a minimum of $10,000 in damages may be eligible for a refund of taxes already paid as well as lower annual tax bills until the property is repaired or rebuilt. Assessor Prang’s office is working proactively to identify the properties affected and move the process forward.