California Policy Lab Finds 80% of LA Homeless Had Prior Work, but Earnings Stay at 21% of Median
Updated
Updated · capolicylab.org · Sep 15
California Policy Lab Finds 80% of LA Homeless Had Prior Work, but Earnings Stay at 21% of Median
2 articles · Updated · capolicylab.org · Sep 15
Summary
80% of Los Angeles County residents enrolled in homeless services had worked in California before entering programs, according to a new California Policy Lab analysis of 95,386 people from 2019 to 2022.
21% were employed at enrollment, and employment hovered around 20% before and after services, showing many people retained labor-market ties even as work fell sharply near homelessness.
27% higher earnings after enrollment still left workers far from housing stability: average annual pay reached $18,468 two years later, or 21% of county area median income.
39% worked in the two years before enrollment, with higher rates among families and 18-to-24-year-olds; prevention and time-limited subsidy programs also showed the strongest pre-enrollment employment.
The report says the findings challenge assumptions of long-term job detachment but point to a need for targeted workforce support because even employed participants remained extremely low-income.