Supporting Frontline Workers Fund

Supporting Frontline Workers Fund

Overview: A direct financial support initiative providing cash stipends to LA's homeless sector frontline workers to address burnout, fatigue, anxiety, and turnover while supporting worker wellbeing and sector retention.

Status: Completed fund (announced December, funding distributed in following months)

Geographic Scope: Los Angeles

Target Population:

Homeless sector frontline workers

Over 3,000 workers across 53 organizations

Prioritized lowest-paid workers in the sector

Funding Amount:

Total Fund: $2,500,000

Individual Stipends: $500-$1,500 per worker

Beneficiary Organizations: 53 organizations

Worker Recipients: Over 3,000 homeless sector frontline workers

Funding Sources:

Initial funding: $1,000,000 from Cedars-Sinai

Additional funding: $1,550,000 from United Way of Greater Los Angeles

Focus Areas:

Addressing worker anxiety, burnout, and fatigue

Supporting worker retention in homeless response sector

Providing immediate financial relief

Care and retention of frontline workers

Equity Approach:

Prioritized funding requests from organizations with budgets under $10M

Focused on organizations led by BIPOC individuals and leaders with lived experience of homelessness

Simple application process

Equitable selection process

Context: Responds to LA's homeless crisis exacerbated by worker stress; workers navigating dual pressure of client stressors while supporting themselves and families through pandemic

Related Work: Funded through SJPLA's Racial Equity in Homelessness Initiative partnership with Cedars-Sinai; part of broader initiative addressing wage equity in homeless response sector; includes production of Living Wage report with recommendations to public and private funders

Contact: info@sjpla.org, 360 E 2nd St Ste 800, Los Angeles, CA 90012