County outlines plan to bring LAHSA outreach workers into county jobs, unions press for protections

The Los Angeles County chief executive’s office and Department of Human Resources told the Board of Supervisors on Jan. 13 that the county has identified budgeted vacancies and a fast‑track hiring plan aimed at keeping county‑funded LAHSA employees on the payroll as the county stands up the new Department of Homeless Services and Housing.

Acting CEO Joseph Nikita said the county has located vacancies across several departments with ongoing funding and that ‘we have found vacancies for every county‑funded outreach worker at LAHSA that would otherwise be at risk of layoff.’ He and county staff said the priority is 85 outreach workers and that the wider pool includes 315 represented full‑time equivalents funded by the county.

The Department of Human Resources described using Civil Service Rule 13.04 — the county’s emergency hiring authority — to recruit LAHSA outreach workers into the community health worker classification, with ‘specialty’ and ‘desirable’ qualifications intended to prioritize LAHSA staff. DHR said it plans hiring fairs and a concierge program to expedite applications, ensure no gap in benefits and protect pay through special step placements when necessary.

Union representatives and LAHSA employees praised the effort but warned the county’s plan still leaves open critical questions. SEIU 721 and LAHSA staff asked the Board to guarantee original hire dates and seniority, and not to require rank‑and‑file workers to reapply in a process they described as competitive and insecure. ‘Our core request is simple: allow workers to keep their original hire date so their seniority and job security are preserved,’ an SEIU representative told supervisors.

County officials said they are negotiating with labor and have a plan to offer contingent job offers, conduct background review and ‘hand‑walk’ employees through live‑scan and fair‑chance processes if concerns arise. Rodney Collins, chief deputy director for DHR, said departments are ‘ready to hire now’ and the first hiring fairs are expected before the end of the month, with an aim to complete transitions before July 1.

What happens next: The board received the report and directed staff to continue negotiations and updates. Supervisors stressed the need to avoid service disruptions for people experiencing homelessness while ensuring an orderly transfer of staff and protections for represented employees.

Reporting note: Quotes in this story come from the Jan. 13 Board of Supervisors meeting and public comments recorded in the official transcript. No outcomes were reported beyond the administration’s commitment to a phased hiring process and further negotiation with labor.