Targeted Universalism in Action: A Framework for Addressing Homelessness in Los Angeles County
What would it take so that no one in Los Angeles County has to live unsheltered?
That question anchored the Task Force on Latinx People Experiencing Homelessness Report and reflects a clear, shared goal: no person experiences homelessness. The Task Force approached this goal using a targeted universalism framework, recognizing that while the outcome must be universal, the paths to reach it are not the same for everyone.
Rather than relying on a broad, one-size-fits-all solution, the Task Force examined how systems function differently for different communities and where those systems need to reach people before a housing crisis becomes unavoidable. In doing so, the report offers a practical blueprint for advancing equity while strengthening the homelessness response Countywide.
Why Targeted Universalism Matters
Targeted universalism begins by naming a universal goal that reflects shared values and collective responsibility. From there, it designs strategies that address the specific barriers preventing different groups from reaching that goal.
Achieving it requires coordinated systems, sustained investment, and accountability across County departments and throughout the region.
Data and lived experience reveal that Latinx residents faced conditions that limit access to existing services. Between 2018 and 2024, the number of Latinx residents experiencing homelessness increased by more than 70 percent, even as Latinx households were less likely to be connected to homelessness services.
Through community listening events, sounding board sessions in all five Supervisorial Districts, and analysis of more than 800 responses, the Task Force identified recurring barriers shaping Latinx residents’ pathways into homelessness.
These include limited language access, fear of interacting with government systems, wage theft and income volatility, lack of culturally responsive services, and the undercounting of people who are doubled up or living in informal housing arrangements. For many households, these barriers delay engagement with services until a crisis point, increasing the likelihood of unsheltered homelessness.
These challenges do not exist in isolation. They intersect with broader structural pressures such as rising housing costs, limited affordable housing supply, and fragmented service delivery. The Task Force’s findings reinforce a core principle of targeted universalism: equity-driven strategies are not separate from systemwide progress. They are essential to achieving it. When systems are designed without accounting for these realities, disparities widen even as overall capacity expands.
Targeted Strategies That Advance a Shared Goal
Using a targeted universalism lens, the Task Force identified strategies that directly respond to these barriers while strengthening the homelessness response for everyone.
Recommendations include expanding culturally responsive and language-accessible services across County departments, strengthening partnerships with trusted community-based organizations, improving data collection to better capture hidden homelessness, and investing in prevention models that stabilize households before crises escalate.
Other recommendations focus on economic stability, including addressing wage theft, expanding guaranteed income pilots with wraparound supports, and improving access to accurate information about tenant protections and eviction prevention. These strategies recognize that preventing homelessness requires more than housing interventions alone. It requires attention to income security, labor protections, and trust in public systems.
Improving language access reduces administrative friction for everyone. Simplifying navigation strengthens system entry points. Enhancing data transparency improves accountability and decision-making across departments. In each case, targeted action advances a universal outcome.
While many of these strategies are informed by Latinx residents’ experiences, they will help all residents experiencing homelessness in LA County. Clearer service pathways, stronger prevention infrastructure, and better coordination improve outcomes for all residents at risk of homelessness.
One of the Task Force’s most important contributions is demonstrating that equity and efficiency are not competing goals. By addressing where systems break down most clearly, targeted strategies help repair gaps that affect the entire region.
Targeted universalism reframes equity not as an add-on or special initiative, but as a practical strategy for achieving durable, shared results.
The Task Force on Latinx People Experiencing Homelessness Report offers Los Angeles County a roadmap for advancing its universal goal through evidence-based action. Its recommendations underscore that ending homelessness is not only a matter of scale, but of design.
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