Veteran Housing Advocate to Oversee Streamlined LA County Services
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday confirmed the appointment of Sarah Mahin as the first director of the newly formed Department of Homeless Services and Housing (DHSH), which consolidates the County’s fragmented homelessness response under a single agency.
In her new role, Mahin will oversee the transition of services from various county departments into the unified department, tasked with enhancing coordination, accountability, and service delivery for people experiencing homelessness. The DHSH is expected to become fully operational by January 1, 2026.
Mahin currently leads the Housing for Health division within the Department of Health Services, a nationally recognized program that has served as a model for the new department. During her six-year tenure, she has managed an $875 million budget and a staff of more than 600, partnering with hundreds of nonprofit and community organizations.
With two decades of experience in homelessness services, Mahin has held prior roles at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), where she directed policy and coordinated service delivery across a broad network of agencies and providers. She holds a Master of Public Affairs from the University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor of Arts in Government from Georgetown University.
The Board of Supervisors voted in April to establish the new department following a motion introduced by Supervisor Lindsey Horvath and co-authored by Supervisor Kathryn Barger. The department’s official name, Department of Homeless Services and Housing, was adopted in July.
County officials said the new structure aims to reduce administrative burdens on providers, streamline services for clients, and deliver more effective solutions to address the region’s homelessness crisis.
Community meetings about the DHSH’s development are expected to be announced in the coming weeks. For updates, residents can visit ceo.lacounty.gov/dh or submit questions here.
