A new legal program to bridge the gap between unhoused people and the court system officially launched today in Los Angeles County.
The Community Outreach Court (COC) is an assistance program for persons experiencing homelessness looking to resolve various legal matters, and helps them access social services and secure housing.
The program is spearheaded by the LA City Attorney’s Office, the LA County Public Defender’s Office, the LA County Alternate Public Defender’s Office, and the LA Mayor’s Office of Community Safety.
“This comes out of years of prior work listening to our homeless neighbors,” County Supervisor Hilda Solis said. "Understanding the challenges they face and wanting to lift every barrier and obstacle out of the way so they can get an equitable chance to do better and more.”
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Beyond legal services, the program aims to address criminal misdemeanor matters affecting unhoused Angelenos in a community setting. According to the COC website, over 100 unhoused individuals were provided record clearance, ticket relief, warrant resolution and housing assistance since its pilot phase in September 2023.
“By establishing a court that is located in the community, we are helping unhoused Angelenos comply with the law, navigate the legal system and access much-needed services,'' City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto said in a statement.
Feldstein Soto also noted that when unhoused individuals are summoned to court, they are often reluctant to appear for several reasons, such as not having a place to store their belongings or afraid of losing them or they may struggle with mental health or substance abuse issues.
According to the LA County Department of Public Health, the mortality rate among people experiencing homelessness (PEH) took a sharp upward turn in 2020 and 2021. The top three causes included: overdose deaths, transportation related injuries and homicide.
“This is our effort to bring our courts directly into the community to help solve these challenges,'' Feldstein Soto said.
COC operations are held every third Thursday of the month at the Skid Row Community ReFresh Spot, a 24-hour public space that provides showers, restrooms, laundry facilities, drinking water, links to social services and pet supplies. The spot is located at 544 Towne Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90013.
The next COC is scheduled for April 18 at 9:00 a.m.
