Homelessness in Los Angeles - Willmer Flores

 

Homelessness in Los Angeles

Willmer Flores

 

 

When people talk about Los Angeles or just California in general, they talk about the sunny weather, the beaches, and Hollywood. However, there is something else that is always present

in Los Angeles that people don’t often address. If we look beneath the beautiful sunsets and skyline, we will see an alarming amount of homelessness. Anyone who lives in Los Angeles knows that a tremendous amount of homelessness only seems to be increasing. No matter what city you live in, there is always some level of homelessness, whether you live near Downtown or Pasadena. So, what is causing this increase, and more importantly, what is being done to mitigate the increasing rate of homelessness?

Source: AP Photo/Richard Vogel

Growing up in a low-income household to immigrant parents, there was always this unspoken fear of losing our income, leading to losing our home. Fortunately, this never happened. Although, it meant having to go to bed hungry, stretching every dollar, and going to school with the same pair of shoes for two years while everyone had their new outfits at the start of every semester. Despite all of this, I consider myself very lucky because I had friends that weren’t as fortunate. The apartment building I grew up in didn’t have a yard which meant going over to a friend’s house to play. Come 2008, this all changed. This friend and his family lost their home. Their three-bedroom home was now a minivan. At the time, I didn’t understand what was happening; I just remembered no longer seeing my friend in the neighborhood. As I grew older, I understood that they lost their house to the housing market crash of 2008. However, this wasn’t my first exposure to someone being homeless. This was seen all around our neighborhood. While things have changed from 2008, one thing that hasn’t is the number of homeless people seen all around LA.

While the 2008 housing crisis vastly increased the number of homeless people, unfortunately, this isn't the only cause of homelessness. According to the LA Times, there has been a drastic increase in homelessness from 39,000 people in 2011 to 59,000 people in 2019. So, even after the housing crisis of 2008, what else is contributing to homelessness in LA?

 

Source: Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, Los Angeles Times

 

In an article presented by NPR in 2020, they state that the most significant sources of homelessness range from “high rents and a shortage of affordable housing, the Homeless Services Authority points to stagnant wages and systemic racism that affect housing, health care, justice, and economic policies as major contributors to the crisis.” Later in this article, they also mention how homelessness has worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. The effects of the pandemic on homelessness can be an entire blog on its own. Identifying the sources of homelessness is the first step towards combating homelessness, but the next step is to act. So, what is being done to reduce the increasing rate of homelessness? 

Such a topic is so complex, so much so that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution to ending homelessness. Nonprofit organizations are perhaps the primary sources in an attempt to end homelessness. For example, Home for Good was founded in 2005 and has raised more than 40 million dollars to provide various recourses ranging from food to medical care for homeless people. At the same time, though, they are laws being passed that prohibit encampments in public areas. While there is a concern for local safety behind such decisions, most homeless shelters cannot take in large amounts of people at the same time. Such actions don’t end homelessness, but they simply relocate it. It is easy for an ordinary citizen to feel as if they can’t make a significant change, but this isn’t true.

Source: Messenger photo by Elijah Decious

The American Psychological Association defines civic engagement as “individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern.” I believe that civic engagement can take on many forms. Someone doesn’t have to start an entire foundation to fight homelessness in order to make a positive impact on their environment. As I grew older, I saw how volunteering at a shelter could impact others. It was as simple as serving food or passing out clean blankets, but this can significantly impact someone’s life. Today, hundreds of shelters and food banks have several people depending on them, and any help can genuinely go a long way.

There is no doubt that homelessness in Los Angeles is a severe issue that seems to have no end in sight. Several factors have only increased the amount of homelessness, and the pandemic has only worsened this. Despite the government action that has been taken, there is no single solution to alleviate this issue. However, there are many actions that an individual may take to contribute to the fight against homelessness. I wish to bring awareness to a topic that is often overlooked. I also want to bring awareness of the various engagement methods that an ordinary citizen may help anyone suffering from homelessness.

References

1. Smith, Doug, and Benjamin Oreskes. “Homelessness Jumps 12% in L.A. County and 16% in the city; Officials 'Stunned'.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2019, https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-homeless-count-encampment-affordable-housing-2019-results-20190604-story.html

2. Campbell, Tom. “California Needs Statewide Approach to Homelessness.” San Bernardino Sun, San Bernardino Sun, 6 Mar. 2018, https://www.sbsun.com/2018/03/06/california-needs-statewide-approach-to-homelessness/

3. Scott, Anna. “Homelessness in Los Angeles County Rises Sharply.” NPR, NPR, 12 June 2020, https://www.npr.org/2020/06/12/875888864/homelessness-in-los-angeles-county-rises-sharply.  

4. Levin, Sam. “Los Angeles Homeless Population Hits 36,000 in Dramatic Rise.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 4 June 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jun/04/los-angeles-homeless-population-city-county.  

5. David Zahniser, and Oreskes, Benjamin. “L.A.'s New Homeless Encampment Law: A Humane Approach or Cruel to Unhoused People?” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2021, https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-08-02/los-angeles-new-homeless-anti-camping-law-humane-cruel.   

6. Matthew, Zoie. “Here's What's Being Done to End L.A.'s Homelessness Crisis.” Los Angeles Magazine, 8 Nov. 2018, https://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/la-homelessness-crisis/.  

7. Carpini, Michael Delli. “Civic Engagement.” American Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, 2009, https://www.apa.org/education-career/undergrad/civic-engagement