$12 million is pledged to supportive housing for homeless people

A major philanthropic funder has pledged $12 million to develop supportive housing for Los Angeles County’s homeless population.

The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation announced Tuesday that its donation, split evenly between a grant and a loan, would go to the Corporation for Supportive Housing for both new construction and adaptation of private units for homeless people. The housing corporation expects to fund 780 new units with the money, the foundation said in a statement.

Over the last decade, the foundation has invested $60 million to expand the supply of permanent supportive housing for homeless people in the county, more than any other charity. The foundation recently contributed $4 million to help provide housing for chronically sick and mentally ill homeless people enrolled in a Los Angeles County Department of Health Services program, including residents of the Star Apartments.

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For the Record

Oct. 17, 10:20 a.m.: An earlier version of this post said the foundation’s $4-million donation was to help open the Star Apartments on skid row.

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Supportive housing combines a stable place to live with case management, drug counseling, mental health and medical care to keep long-term homeless people in their residences.

The average cost to the county of hospitalizations, emergency room visits and jailings would drop from $63,000 to $17,000 a year for every chronically homeless person placed in permanent housing, the foundation said.

The Agoura Hills-based Conrad N. Hilton Foundation was created in 1944 by the Hilton Hotels founder of that name.

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