UCLA recently announced the creation of its unprecedented Unhoused Task Force. What is the purpose of this group and how is UCLA Administration involved?
Chief of Staff Michelle Sityar responds.
Homelessness is a persistent and complex issue impacting our global society, and there are numerous UCLA staff and scholars conducting research to understand its root causes and impacts.
The UCLA Unhoused Task Force was established in Spring 2024 and is co-chaired by Randall Kuhn, professor of community health sciences at the Fielding School of Public Health, and Michelle Sityar, chief of staff for UCLA Administration. The task force brings together more than 20 administrative and academic experts from diverse fields such as medicine, sociology, public health, social welfare, psychology, campus safety and operations to further this work on our campus. Together, they are exploring interventions to address safety and operational issues related to unhoused non-affiliates who reside on campus and in the nearby Westwood neighborhood where UCLA facilities are located.
As part of their mission, the task force will focus on four key areas:
- Explore tiered response strategies as an alternative to police officers, focusing on unsafe environments, security needs and “hot spots” with unique operational considerations affecting those locations.
- Identify the existing resources on or around campus along with critical gaps in service availability, addressing existing capacity/resources for navigation of clients across different service domains.
- Assess population and health data drawing on existing campus information/intelligence to develop a better understanding of the issues based on geographical location.
- Explore service and housing models within the community and comparator universities to inform potential engagement strategies associated with space, financial resources and legal/zoning issues.
At the conclusion of its work, the task force will formulate recommendations for UCLA’s senior leadership to thoughtfully and effectively address safety and operational challenges. Administrative Vice Chancellor Michael Beck serves as the task force’s executive sponsor.
To learn more about the UCLA Unhoused Task Force, please visit the website and/or contact AdminVC@ucla.edu.
