Homelessness in Los Angeles -Yeslin Chavez

 Homelessness in Los Angeles

                                                                                                                        Latimes.com

One environmental issue that concerns me because it affects my community is the high rates of homelessness population that Los Angeles currently has. This issue affects me because it is seen all over my community and I would like to see the rates decrease. 

 

Homelessness in Los Angeles is a big problem, rates are increasing every year and it has been labelled according to an article in Forbes as the second city with the most homeless people.

Civic Engagement Definitions 

According to Youth.gov, “Civic engagement involves working to make a difference in the civic life of one’s community and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make that difference. It means promoting the quality of life in a community, through both political and non-political processes”

 https://youth.gov/youth-topics/civic-engagement-and-volunteering 

The American Psychological Association defines civil engagement as “individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern. Civic engagement can take many forms, from individual voluntarism to organizational involvement to electoral participation”. 

 https://www.apa.org/education/undergrad/civic-engagement

From what I have read about civil engagement, my understanding is that civil engagement is working towards a common goal within a community. It can be through a political or nonpolitical standpoint and can be accomplish by an individual or group of people. Civil engagement can also be performed through volunteering and involvement.

Poverty in Los Angeles 

The ones the most affected with this poverty level are people of color. In many cases these individuals do not have access to adequate health care needed. They also suffer from substance abuse and many have mental health illnesses. Being without a home is one of many of their problems that they are going through.

Skid Row 

Skid Row has a large population of homeless in Los Angeles. It is the home to poverty, crime, and homelessness. Their living conditions are not sanitary, and the lack of resources affect their everyday lives. Due to the unsanitary conditions the amount of trash, human feces, and urine can lead to the quick spread of bacteria and diseases. This can also affect the quality of our air.

                                                                                            

                                                                                           Latimes.com

                                                                                                                                Dailynews.org

 

In LA, poverty on Skid Row defies US’ humane reputation

COVID-19 

I came across an article on latimes.com, it shared a visual presentation of the races of COVID-19 cases in California. Based on the data found, it demonstrated that from the months of June 2020-December 2020 Latinos and African Americans have contracted higher rates of COVID-19 than Asians, whites, or other. Latinos being the highest, 4,038 cases per 100,000. One potential outcome of this result being that Latinos and African Americans have higher rates of COVID-19 can be because they share similar populations being low-income communities.

"One reason African Americans or Latinos are dying from COVID-19 at rates higher than other populations is because of underlying health conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and asthma."  - Sacoby Wilson 

These health issues are the reflection of one's environment. Low-income communities do not have access to resources and availability of products as compare of wealthier communities. All these factors underline the lack to equality that low-income communities are face with and make lower income communities more vulnerable to COVID-19.

Social Change 

Andrew Gervase , a resident of Downtown Los Angeles took the initiative and  created an Instagram account called  la.homeless where he documents the living conditions that people in the street experience and also share the heartbreaking stories that show the cruel reality that homeless people in Los Angeles face daily. His goal is for politicians to see his videos and hear about the many stories that he has encounter. His action taken has definitely inspire me to find a way to get involve in order to import my help. Decreasing the homelessness rates would bring a lot of positive benefits into our environment. Our air quality and our streets would be much cleaner. It is time for everyone to get involve and speak up for the homelessness population in Los Angeles and everywhere else. These people desperately need our help. 

References

Andrew Gervase Instagram Page

              https://www.instagram.com/la.homeless/?hl=en

California Department of Public Health. California coronavirus cases: Tracking the outbreak.Los Angeles Times. (2020). Retrieved from https://www.latimes.com/projects/californiacoronavirus-cases-tracking-outbreak/.

Katherine Bagley. May 7, Katherine Bagley,., Katherine Bagley is the    managing editor of Yale Environment 360. Connecting the     Dots    Between Environmental Injustice and the Coronavirus.    

 Retrieved April 03, 2021., from https://e360.yale.edu/features/connecting-the-    dots-              between-environmental-injustice-and-the-coronavirus

McCarthy, N. (2020, January 14). The American Cities with The Highest Homeless Populations In 2019    [Infographic]. Retrieved April 03, 2021., from      https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2020/01/14/the-american-cities-with-the-highest-            homeless-populations-in-2019-infographic/#28550d9614a9

Resources Available LA Hop ·      Designed to assist people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County with outreach services including :  - Homeless Services Navigation -Mental Health First Aid -Motivational Interviewing -Trauma Informed Care Homeless and Stable Living Resource locations “The Los Angeles Public Library helps connect residents who are experiencing homelessness with resources to help them transition to stable, independent or supported living. This site will help you find work, food, housing and many other helpful services near our library branches in the City of Los Angeles.”  https://www.lapl.org/homeless-resources