The LA Homeless Sector workforce is a significant part of our region’s economy. There are currently over 8,000 positions in the Los Angeles Continuum of Care homelessness services system—not counting the thousands of healthcare workers who serve the unhoused. When we successfully solve homelessness in Los Angeles, it will be the thousands of front-line workers—the case managers, outreach specialists, program managers, and others—who will carry us there. To support this workforce, FCI has envisioned a new institution called the Los Angeles Unhoused Response Academy (“LAURA”). The mission of LAURA is to build the capacity of the Los Angeles County homeless workforce—today and in the future. LAURA will provide an on-ramp for new talent, support those already hard at work to improve morale and reduce turnover, create a center for thought leadership, define a skills framework to light a path for professional growth, and advocate for better compensation.