Los Angeles Unveils Plan To End Chronic Homelessness By 2016

In the Los Angeles area, 50,000 homeless people line the streets at night.

Now, the city's business leaders are turning their attention to addressing the problem by unveiling a comprehensive plan to drastically reduce homelessness by 2016.

According to KPCC,

A new report by a task force commissioned by the United Way and the L.A. Chamber of Commerce says we can cut the number of homeless by 70 percent or more in only five years.

The report is called "Home For Good." Below that title, it says "The Action Plan to End Chronic and Veteran Homelessness by 2016."

The report is the work of the Los Angeles Business Leaders Task Force on Homelessness, which spent 10 months interviewing homeless experts from California and Colorado, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The plan targets the city's "chronically homeless," which they estimate makes up 25 percent of the homeless population. By providing targeted comprehensive services to this population, including housing, mental health care and more, the plan estimates the city can get this entire population off the streets.

The remaining 75 percent, the task force argues, are victims of the recession or similarly unfortunate circumstances and just need a helping hand to get back on their feet.

To implement the plan, the Business Leaders Task Force on Homelessness needs to get other Los Angeles leaders and organizations on board to work together.

The Los Angeles Times reports,

The group is asking county and city authorities, social service organizations, law enforcement agencies and faith-based groups to sign on to a detailed plan they call "Home for Good" by Dec. 1.