The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation has announced a two-year, $4 million grant to the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services in support of a new public-private partnership to provide housing for high-need homeless patients.

In collaboration with DHS, County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, and the foundation, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has approved an additional $14 million over the next four years to launch a supportive rental subsidy program called the Flexible Housing Subsidy Pool (FHSP) that will work to secure decent, safe, and affordable housing for DHS patients who are homeless and have complex physical and behavioral health conditions.

With the goal of improving health outcomes for vulnerable populations, reduce costs to the public health system, and help end homelessness in the county, FHSP will draw on a full range of community-based housing options, including nonprofit-owned supportive housing, affordable housing, master lease buildings, scattered site housing, and the private market housing. Participants in the program also will be linked to physical, mental health, and substance abuse services provided by DHS partner agencies or by roving teams to assist them in their transition to permanent housing.

"We are pleased to partner with the County Department of Health Services in helping meet the needs of our most needy homeless neighbors," said Hilton Foundation chairman, president, and CEO Steven M. Hilton. "We applaud the leadership of [DHS director Dr. Mitchell] Katz and his team in demonstrating that funding supportive housing leads to better health outcomes and is more cost-effective in the long run."