When you think about Homelessness in Los Angeles the first thing that comes to mind is skid road, people living in tents on the streets, or someone who doesn't have a permanent home. Yet, "Homeless individuals" are mothers, sons, military veterans etc. People experience Homelessness for different reasons including lack of income, substance abuse, domestic violence, family rejection, foster care children etc. We seem to judge Homeless people based on their appearance and not having a permanent home. Yet, we don’t know the actual reason as to how they ended up Homeless.
What is Homelessness?
Homelessness is when a person "lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, and if they sleep in a shelter designated for temporary living accommodations or in places not designated for human habitation, the state of having no home."
Homelessness is an immense problem that affects a variety of individuals in the Los Angeles community, which urgently needs attention. For the past decade, homeless populations rates are rising nonstop. As of 2020, the number of homelessness has tripled, causing the need for more resources to increase. As a result of COVID-19, many individuals and families have become jobless which has resulted in their inability to pay rent, food, and other necessities. In 2013 a count conducted by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority reported 22,993 homeless people living in the city of Los Angeles and a total of 39,463 homeless people in all of Los Angeles county. The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority conducts these counts annually based on the most recent count a total of 41,290 homeless people living in the city of Los Angeles and a staggering total of 66,436 homeless people in the Los Angeles County. If you compare 2013 to 2020, the homeless population rate has increased drastically by over fifty-five percent. The percentage of homelessness varies in areas and ethnicity/race.
How many types of Homelessness are there?
1. Chronic: Individuals who have experienced homelessness for at least a year
2. Episodic: Individuals who experience recurrent problems with housing. Are often younger and suffer from some type of disabling condition (substance abuse, mental illness, or medical problems)
3. Transitional: Individuals who generally enter shelters or temporary housing systems (one brief stay)
4. Hidden: Individuals temporary living with others, don't have permanent housing
Who and What percentage are Homeless?
HHH Proposition
Proposition HHH was passed back in 2016 with a $1.2 million bond to help aid the homeless with housing, `health resources, food, and other resources. Proposition HHH’s goal is to provide the homeless community with affordable housing in a safe space with access to health facilities, education, and job opportunities. It is essential to bring the attention of the public to homelessness in Los Angeles to help increase financial support which will allow the homeless community to have access to basic needs. This proposition is significant because its purpose is to help decrease the number of homeless people by building housing units at a low cost. This proposition also helps other individuals who are in danger of becoming homeless like veterans, seniors, single parents, and people with disabilities, etc.
Why is this issue important?
Homelessness is a big issue within the Los Angeles community especially during this pandemic many families including friends have been affected. Homelessness and HHH Prop matter to me because they work hand in hand by building shelters for the homeless and individuals who do not have permanent homes. It personally affects me because due to the Covid-pandemic closing down jobs my parents lost a source of income to support my family besides government aid. Being on the verge of almost losing shelter, this showed me how important it is to value the little things we do have that others don't. Some basic necessities include shelter, food, water, and warmth. Such things that homeless people do not have on a daily basis. A few days before Thanksgiving my family and I give out a meal, sweaters, and covers to homeless people, this issue is very important to me and it affects people around me. We encounter homeless people almost every day and wonder why they don't seek help. Yet, we do not think about what they suffer or have to overcome to receive proper aid.
Skid Road
References:
-HHH, T. (2020, August 14). Tracking HHH. Office of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. https://www.lamayor.org/HomelessnessTrackingHHH.
-LA CoC Shelter/Housing Inventory Count. https://www.lahsa.org/homeless-count/.
-https://www-sciencedirect-com.mimas.calstatela.edu/science/article/pii/S1049386711000909
-https://laist.com/news/housing-homelessness/understanding-homelessness-city-los-angeles
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