What is Civic Engagement?
1.) The two definitions I found were, "Civic Engagement means making a difference in our communities and developing a combination of knowledge, skills, values, and motivation needed to enact change." The second one was "Civic engagement is individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern."
2.) My definition of civic engagement would be participating in community issues to make a positive impact in citizens lives.
3.) A major social issue affecting our neighborhoods is the rise of homelessness. This is a serious crisis that I am seeing on a daily basis. Homelessness has disproportionately affected low-income families, men, women, and adolescents. Especially in communities like El Sereno, Echo Park, Downtown Los Angeles and even in the nicer places like Hollywood and Santa Monica. Due to the lack of affordable housing, poverty, and unemployment people have no where to go and are living in tents, old motor homes, and homeless encampments.
Problem Definition
1. Step 1 Research:
a. My two resources are articles that address the homelessness crisis, explain how it affects the community, and discusses possible solutions. To begin, I'd like to state that people become homeless for a variety of reasons, including mental illness, addiction, and trauma, but the primary reason is high rent. My first article is called "California’s homelessness crisis and possible solutions explained" by Matt Levin and Jackie Botts and the second article is called "Houses, rental vouchers, spending money: Can LA fix its homeless crisis?" by Elijah Chiland.
b. Homelessness has become more visible in recent years, but there are still no realistic, long-term solutions. The biggest challenge to tackle is trying to reform the system in a way that gives these homeless people a sense of purpose and a second chance at a better future. Due to the high cost of living there are at least "150,000 of its residents sleep in shelters, cars, or on the street" (Levin and Botts, 2020).
Step 2 Personal:
a. This problem directly affects me because I am seeing an increase in the number of homeless people migrating into my neighborhood. It is heartbreaking to see people living in tents, under bridges, and in our local parks. When they move to our communities, they are less likely to seek or find help because they lack access to health care, mental health treatment, and are therefore dangerous to the community.
b. I chose this issue because there needs to be more awareness about the the harsh reality of homelessness. The truth is that anyone, particularly during these difficult times of the pandemic, can become homeless. Many people have lost their jobs, businesses, and homes as a result of the COVID-19 and have been forced to live on the streets. As I drive through Downtown Los Angeles, I see tents after tents of people living on the streets next to one another. It is upsetting to see so many people are struggling, forced to live in tough conditions, and in desperate need of assistance especially in Skid Row where "nearly 5,000 residents live in the half square mile of Los Angeles Skid Row" (Levin and Botts, 2020).
Gathering Evidence
1.) Skipped due to COVID-19
Dissemination of Research to a Public Audience
1a.) I believe there would be more community involvement if more people were made aware of the harsh reality that homeless people face. Luckily, homeless people sometimes receive limited assistance, such as federal housing vouchers. Unfortunately, these vouchers can be easily used up with only "20,000 spots on the list available for an expected 600,000 applicants" (Chiland, 2020). People who want to help the homeless can donate equipment, food, or even rent out vacant rooms.
1b.) This issue affects the community because they are setting up encampments on the streets and in parks. Residents are worried because homeless people living so close to homes can increases crime, they leave their garbage on the streets, and some people do not feel safe. There needs to be a long-term solution to homelessness, so far "emergency shelters are facilities that provide temporary shelter for people experiencing homelessness" (Levin and Botts, 2020). This temporary shelter is only available to a limited number of people, leaving many with mental illnesses and others to fend for themselves.
2.) This issue is important to me because I want to see the homeless community improve. It is frustrating that elected officials provide little or no assistance to those who are in need. I chose this issue in the hopes of raising awareness and encouraging people to treat homeless people with more compassion. I am seeing more and more people volunteering all over Downtown Los Angeles as a result of the pandemic. These people are donating their time and providing hot meals, beverages, masks, and hygiene products. Seeing people step up to do the right thing has inspired me to volunteer my spare time to donate food and drinks to those in need. Despite the fact that I am just one of many people who donate their time, I believe it makes a difference. I hope that one day, a more affordable housing system or initiative can be developed to help these people get off the streets and back into the community
(Just one of many sections of homeless people living in Skid Row, Downtown Los Angeles)
(A line waiting outside of Downtown Los Angeles Homeless Shelter)
Reflection
1.) By participating in this assignment my understanding of civic engagement has not changed. However, I think I am now more attentive and aware of the significant impact that working together with our community can have on social issues.
2). If I had a chance to redo this assignment, I would not change anything. I am glad that I am able to spread awareness about this issue and the more research I conducted helped me learn more about homelessness. I only wish that I was able to reach out to members who were also affected by this issue, due to the pandemic this was not possible.
3.) Out of all the assignments we had this one by far was my favorite. This was my first time using Blogger, so I really enjoyed sharing my own personal reflections to the topic.
Resources
Chiland, E. (2020, January 21). Can LA fix its homeless crisis? Curbed LA. https://la.curbed.com/2020/1/21/21071123/homelessness-los-angeles-how-to-fix.
Matt Levin and Jackie Botts. (2020, June 24). California's homelessness crisis - and possible solutions - explained. https://calmatters.org/explainers/californias-homelessness-crisis-explained/.
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