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Recognizing the importance of preventing evictions in overcoming Los Angeles’s homelessness crisis, The Bob & Dolores Hope Foundation has donated $1.5 million and Health Net $1.3 million to support the Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles’ We Are LA program. We Are LA connects people at risk of eviction to every resource available to them to help them maintain stable housing.

The two organizations join L.A. Care Health Plan, which made previous investments totaling $1.8 million, as the program’s biggest donors. L.A. Care’s early support was critical for getting the We Are LA program off the ground and establishing its success.

“We must bring unhoused Angelenos inside while doing all that we can to prevent people from falling into homelessness in the first place, and that means local government partnering with businesses and philanthropists across the city to confront this crisis,” said Mayor Karen Bass. “Earlier this year, L.A. Care Health Plan made a generous donation to the Mayor’s Fund for this important effort and now I want to commend The Bob & Dolores Hope Foundation and Health Net for taking this courageous step and joining this effort. This is not a fight we will win if private philanthropy does not lock arms with us in this effort to provide the life-saving resources that Angelenos deserve. Thank you to our philanthropic partners for locking arms and partnering with us to confront the greatest challenge facing our city.”

We Are LA has reached out to over 411,000 at-risk Angelenos, including targeted outreach to people who have received notices of intended eviction. We Are LA also operates a hotline and organizes tenant resource clinics to help reach anyone who fears they may lose their home. Once the team connects with a person who wants help, caseworkers assess all of the resources available to that individual and help them navigate the bureaucracy of applying for government and charitable programs. The program has served over 32,000 individuals and families to help them avoid eviction and stay housed. The Mayor’s Fund has also recently formed a partnership with U.S. VETS to help service veterans in Los Angeles and is beginning new programs to directly serve vulnerable populations, like former foster youth.

“The Bob & Dolores Hope Foundation is proud to support Mayor Karen Bass’ emergency homelessness plan with We Are LA and their efforts to reach out to hundreds of thousands of Angelenos facing the threat of eviction and connecting them to services and support,” said Linda Hope, Chair and CEO of the Bob & Dolores Hope Foundation. “In addition, the Mayor’s Fund and We Are LA also help ensure that any veteran who asks for help will not end up on the streets. My mom and dad always had a heartfelt devotion and concern for those individuals who have and continue to serve our country. They believed that prevention was an intricate step in any effort to help those at risk, and their foundation was created, in part, with the hope of meeting the needs of all those individuals.”

Since its creation more than eight months ago, We Are LA has engaged with more than 411,000 Angelenos wanting help stabilizing their housing situations. It has connected them to programs like Medi-Cal, CalFresh and earned income tax credits to help stretch their dollars further, in addition to recruiting more than 350 pro bono attorneys to provide legal information and defense.

“Housing is a critical key to health, with research showing that housing stability, quality, safety and affordability all affect our physical and mental health outcomes. Moreover, homelessness significantly undermines preventive health measures and exacerbates existing health issues,” said Martha Santana-Chin, President of Medi-Cal and Medicare at Health Net. “We are proud to support the important work of We Are LA, which is creating tangible impacts in the lives of thousands of deserving Angelenos. We will continue to invest in the communities we serve, aiming to transform the health of Californians, one person at a time.”

These donations will allow the Mayor’s Fund to continue and expand the important work of the We Are LA program.

“There were nearly 6,000 notices of eviction filed in March alone,” said Conway Collis, President and CEO of the Mayor’s Fund. “These are life-saving gifts that will help us prevent thousands of Angelenos – including many families and children – from falling into homelessness. Mayor Bass and her team are doing enormously effective work in moving people into shelter and permanent housing with needed services, but to address this crisis we also have to prevent Angelenos from becoming homeless in the first place. These generous gifts will help us do exactly that.”