Pet‑friendly shelter pilot cut repeats

California disbursed $15.75 million to PAS grantees, supporting pet‑inclusive services across the state, ([hpri.usc.edu)] which the report tracks in provider spending and outcome data from 2020–2024. ([hpri.usc.edu)] The PAS awardees opened their doors to an average of 489 unhoused pet owners per year, ([hpri.usc.edu)] and statewide reporting counted thousands of people who kept pets while receiving services. ([theconversation.com)] HPRI’s analysis recorded 886 exits to permanent housing for program participants — roughly 20% of those served — ([hpri.usc.edu)] a share the researchers contrasted with the California State Auditor’s 2024 estimate that about 13% of people in interim placements exit to permanent housing. ([auditor.ca.gov)] Grantees used PAS funds for concrete infrastructure and care needs including pet food and supplies, veterinary services, crates and kennels, vaccinations, liability insurance, facility upgrades, and dedicated staff time. ([hpri.usc.edu)] The formal evaluation was produced by USC’s Homelessness Policy Research Institute in partnership with My Dog Is My Home and the ASPCA, ([dworakpeck.usc.edu)] and the USC release names Nicolas Weinmeister as a lead researcher on the project. ([dworakpeck.usc.edu)] California authorized the Pet Assistance and Support program in the 2019 budget act with an initial notice of funding availability of about $5 million, ([hcd.ca.gov)] and later PAS allocations expanded the program’s reach across many sites. ([hpri.usc.edu)] USC’s annual homeless‑count data cited in the analysis show the prevalence of pet ownership among people living on Los Angeles streets rose from about one in eight before the pandemic to roughly one in five by 2025. ([theconversation.com)]