Better Angels

Every Angeleno knows that homelessness is our number one issue. While Governor Newsom’s executive order might seem satisfying to some, the fact is that it fails to address the core issues that have caused the homelessness crisis to grow in the first place. Research shows that solutions like this don't reduce the overall number of unhoused people. This is exactly why we created Better Angels. Our mission is to solve LA’s homelessness epidemic by harnessing the power of the entire LA community. Executive fiats are not going to accomplish that. We need programs—at scale—that: 1) Prevent people from becoming unhoused in the first place 2) Provide temporary shelter to help people get off the streets 3) Create tens of thousands of affordable housing units to provide more permanent housing 4) Offer services and housing navigation support to those in need Become part of our movement and let’s solve this crisis together. https://lnkd.in/gCvwdrkb

Better Angels' Founder and CEO Adam Miller has written an important piece about the crisis of homelessness in Los Angeles and Better Angels' work to solve it by harnessing the power of the entire LA community. You can read Adam's piece here. Reach out to us to join the Better Angels movement.

There are two important news stories out today with a direct impact on homelessness in LA: - The 2024 Los Angeles County homeless count, released by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, showed a 0.27% reduction in the overall number of people experiencing homelessness in LA County. - The U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision in the case of City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, enabling cities to remove homeless encampments from the streets—even when shelter space is unavailable. We are grateful that the count has finally leveled off, after 7 straight years of significant increases, but much more work must be done to end the epidemic of homelessness in LA County. The efforts of the city, along with other private and public entities, have finally put us on a better trajectory, yet it is not enough. LA's homelessness crisis is still just that: a crisis. As Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman notes, the city continues to face “harsh fiscal realities” that will make additional reductions more difficult for the public sector to achieve over the long term. With the added pressures that the Supreme Court ruling will impose, homelessness will continue to demand a holistic, innovative, all-hands-on-deck approach to resolve. LA simply doesn't have the shelter capacity, housing, processes, or technology to get everyone off the streets. We created Better Angels to fix this. Our mission is to solve LA's homeless epidemic by harnessing the power of the LA community. As a result of today’s Supreme Court's decision, there is more urgency than ever for us to act. https://lnkd.in/giFkfqPy

With over 75,000 Angelenos unhoused, the challenges in Los Angeles are immense. At Better Angels’ Resource Days, we provide a safe and effective way for people experiencing homelessness to access multiple service providers, meeting basic needs and building long-term community connections. Here are three key highlights: Comprehensive Services: We offer assistance with benefits, healthcare (for both people and pets), addiction recovery, housing, and job training. ✍🏼 Basic Essentials: Our events provide meals, urgent care, showers, and clothing to those in need. 🍽️ Community and Support: We create a sense of belonging through music, art, and conversation. 🎨 In 2023, 308 volunteers served 2,306 neighbors across 28 service events throughout LA. Join us in making a difference!

Over 750,000 families in LA are just one minor crisis away from homelessness. At Better Angels, we believe in addressing the root causes of homelessness, and that starts with prevention. Stepping in before families face eviction, helps ensure stability, hope, and the opportunity for a brighter future. Join us in our mission is to solve the homelessness epidemic in Los Angeles by harnessing the power of the LA community. 💙

For those economically vulnerable, as little as $2,000 can be the barrier between having a home and living on the streets. Better Angels is helping solve this issue with the, The Short Term Eviction Prevention (STEP) Fund; which is a lifeline for Angelenos facing imminent homelessness. The STEP Fund steps in with no-interest micro-loans up to $2,500, ensuring quick, easy access to those in need. 1️⃣ Loans cover essential housing-related expenses 2️⃣ Payments go directly to landlords or utility companies 3️⃣ Repayment starts 60 days post-disbursement with flexible, small monthly payments over 3 years 4️⃣ The program is non-punitive and risk-free for borrowers In 2023, the STEP Fund issued 288 loans, totaling $595,786, to financially struggling families and individuals.

At Better Angels, we're committed to pioneering a fresh approach to tackling homelessness through a unique five-pillar system. 🏠 Prevention: We created the STEP Fund, which stands for Short-Term Eviction Protection. The STEP Fund introduces a new model of intervention inspired by the decades-long success of micro-finance programs in the developing world to bridge the gap during times of financial difficulty and keep people housed. Because of the high cost of housing in LA, nearly one million Angelenos are just a paycheck away from not being able to cover their mortgage or rent. Over 60% of people on the streets in LA today are there because of a financial shock. 🛠️ Shelter: We’re building LA’s only comprehensive database of shelters with real-time capacity tracking to increase shelter bed utilization; simplify management and reporting for shelter operators; allow case managers to quickly make referrals into shelters and shelter waitlists; provide facility attributes & visual tools to empower clients to make the best possible shelter choice for themselves. 🏘️ Housing: We’re innovating private capital solutions that will make housing production faster, better and cheaper by attracting private capital through a diversified fund; streamlining approvals; promoting off-site construction; lowering housing attrition. Stay tuned for more information soon about the Better Angels Affordable Housing Fund. 🤝 Services: We’re seeking to mobilize the entire LA community to be part of the solution. We do this by providing a safe, effective way for people experiencing homelessness to access multiple service providers by hosting events that bring together services providers and members of the unhoused community; providing essentials such as meals, urgent care, showers and clothing; fostering belonging and support through music, art and engagement. 🔧 Tech: We’re building modern, intuitive software designed for case workers, allowing them to take action in real time to help unhoused clients; quickly and accurately verify client identity; see & share information about client needs & preferences over time; move rapidly through forms with AI, pre-populated fields and e-signing; search a qualified list of available shelters. Join us at Better Angels as we work to solve Los Angeles’ homelessness epidemic by harnessing the power of the LA community.

At Better Angels, we're committed to pioneering a fresh approach to tackling homelessness through a unique five-pillar system. 🏠 Prevention: We created the STEP Fund, which stands for Short-Term Eviction Protection. The STEP Fund introduces a new model of intervention inspired by the decades-long success of micro-finance programs in the developing world to bridge the gap during times of financial difficulty and keep people housed. Because of the high cost of housing in LA, nearly one million Angelenos are just a paycheck away from not being able to cover their mortgage or rent. Over 60% of people on the streets in LA today are there because of a financial shock. 🛠️ Shelter: We’re building LA’s only comprehensive database of shelters with real-time capacity tracking to increase shelter bed utilization; simplify management and reporting for shelter operators; allow case managers to quickly make referrals into shelters and shelter waitlists; provide facility attributes & visual tools to empower clients to make the best possible shelter choice for themselves. 🏘️ Housing: We’re innovating private capital solutions that will make housing production faster, better and cheaper by attracting private capital through a diversified fund; streamlining approvals; promoting off-site construction; lowering housing attrition. Stay tuned for more information soon about the Better Angels Affordable Housing Fund. 🤝 Services: We’re seeking to mobilize the entire LA community to be part of the solution. We do this by providing a safe, effective way for people experiencing homelessness to access multiple service providers by hosting events that bring together services providers and members of the unhoused community; providing essentials such as meals, urgent care, showers and clothing; fostering belonging and support through music, art and engagement. 🔧 Tech: We’re building modern, intuitive software designed for case workers, allowing them to take action in real time to help unhoused clients; quickly and accurately verify client identity; see & share information about client needs & preferences over time; move rapidly through forms with AI, pre-populated fields and e-signing; search a qualified list of available shelters. Join us at Better Angels as we work to solve Los Angeles’ homelessness epidemic by harnessing the power of the LA community.

LA's homelessness crisis has broad societal and economic implications for all Angelenos. Consider these statistics... - LA accounts for 28% of the nations homeless population  🌎 - Homelessness here has increased 40% from the count five years ago 📈 - Over the past 8 years, the public sector has spent +$10 Billion dollars trying to find a solution. 💰 We created Better Angels to solve the homelessness epidemic in Los Angeles by harnessing the power of the LA community. Better Angels is a social movement focused on ending the homelessness epidemic in LA. We are Angelenos from every corner of our community, and we are entrepreneurs, utilizing innovation and pragmatism to address an issue that has seemed intractable for far too long. We, the people of Los Angeles, have the power to fix this. 🔧 Please reach out to us if you’d like to become part of the movement we are building.

LA’s homelessness crisis is one of our community’s most challenging issues, with far-reaching societal and economic implications for all Angelenos. An issue as complex as this requires a bold, innovative and holistic approach. Introducing Better Angels. 💙 Our Mission is to solve the homelessness epidemic in Los Angeles by harnessing the power of the LA community. Who We Are:  🏙️ Better Angels is a social movement focused on ending the homelessness epidemic in LA. We are Angelenos from every corner of our community, and we are entrepreneurs, utilizing innovation and pragmatism to address an issue that has seemed intractable for far too long. We, the people of Los Angeles, have the power to fix this. What We Do: 🏡 We are taking a bold, holistic approach by harnessing new models of intervention, world-class technology, community engagement, and pragmatism across five critical areas: Prevention, Tech, Services, Housing and Shelter. Why We Are Different: 🙌🏼 Better Angels is not another homelessness organization. It is not just a nonprofit. Or even a social enterprise. We are building a movement. Our focus is to be a catalyst for real progress on LA’s most challenging issue by leveraging our deep expertise in managing complex organizations and large-scale initiatives in the private and public sectors. We understand that a holistic, scalable solution is needed to end the epidemic of homelessness in LA. We are marshaling a full spectrum of resources to address the magnitude of the issue of homelessness, including technology, human and financial capital, and establishing partnerships across our community. We know how to get things done and are focused on bringing hope to LA’s unhoused population and those at risk of homelessness. Reach out to us if you’re interested in learning more about our work. 📢