Homeless Are Human
I have lived in Los Angeles for over 20 years, and throughout these years I have seen the houseless population in our communities increase exponentially.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the city of Los Angeles has been exempted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to conduct their annual census of the homeless population. Back in 2017, Los Angeles County had about 57,794 houseless patrons either living in shelters, tents, or vehicles. The county saw a slight decline in 2018 when the count came back with 52,765 unsheltered people. In 2019, the county saw a prominent spike in houseless cases, bringing the total number of unsheltered patrons to 58,936. Most recently in 2020, the total number of homeless people living in Los Angeles County went up 12.7% from the previous year, creating a count total of 66,433 unhoused individuals.
With the figures of homelessness in LA growing so dramatically, this begs the question: why is the number of houseless patrons skyrocketing and what measures are being put in place by the city to address this issue?
According to NPR, these increases are coming in despite county officials saying that millions of dollars are being expended into housing and caring for the homeless population. In a report run by the LA Homeless Services Authority, at least 2,279 unhoused patrons of LA county have been moved into homes or other housing units.
In another report run by The Los Angeles Times, the major increase in the houseless population comes at a time where the housing market is steadily expanding every day. A number of families and individuals who have lived in Los Angeles for many years are now struggling to make rent, and with the unexpected rise of COVID-19 throughout the city, many have lost their jobs as well as their living situations.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has recently been vocal about his thoughts on the houseless dilemma, stating in the LA Times that this “is a reminder that the crisis is worsening, even as the city continues to house more people at an unprecedented rate”. Garcetti also called out for more funding and policy making from state and federal officials so that general housing can become a right for everyone in LA county.
Back in 2018, Garcetti created the “A Bridge Home” program that aimed at placing safety shelters in every City Council district in the Los Angeles region. Since then, only 9 have been built and another 30 are currently in the process of being constructed. According to The Los Angeles Times, some council members have been diligent with their intent to create at least 222 units of housing, while others have not yet followed through with their promises.
In the most recent count conducted by LAHSA and reported by the Los Angeles Almanac, the highest groups of unhoused citizens in LA county are Hispanic/Latino individuals (36.1%), Black/African American individuals (34.1%), Chronically Homeless Individuals (36.2%), and Individuals Between 25-54 years of age (58.3 %). Compare these numbers to the population of Los Angeles as a whole and you will see that there is a staggering margin that shows that minority communities are at a higher risk of becoming homeless despite making up smaller percentages of the population. These effects can most evidently be seen within the Black/African American community, where this specific demographic makes up 8% of the housed population of Los Angeles County as opposed to 34.1% that account for the unhoused.
Despite Los Angeles County being exempted from counting the homeless population this year, NPR points to a dramatic rise in the houseless community due to the pandemic. With people losing their jobs and struggling to pay rent, many have been forced to live either in their vehicles or in encampments that are popping up throughout the city.
With homeless encampments cropping up in higher trafficked and more gentrified parts of Los Angeles County, law enforcement has been trying to keep the streets clear by evacuating these communities. However, this is not effective as it only displaces these individuals even more.
While rising rates of homelessness has been an issue for years in Los Angeles, it has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and steady incline of the cost of living. While there are efforts being made through community outreach programs and non-profits alike, this is an issue that demands the attention of every individual living in Los Angeles.
Seeing the data and reading the news about how the houseless community keeps increasing makes me so sad and angry that our government has not done a sufficient amount to help. Rather than sitting back and being upset about this situation, my family and I have opted to utilize our passionate emotions towards a greater cause by assisting and uplifting the unhoused community in LA County. We have been pulling together the necessary tools and equipment we need to help our neighbors, and encourage everyone to join in with us.
One of the easiest ways you can help the houseless community is by donating clothes, toiletries, and nonperishables to your local food bank and homeless shelter. If there are items that you don’t need anymore that you believe someone else could get use out of, donate it as well. When donating clothes, always make sure you are looking for items that are in need for the specific season we are currently in. Right now, it is tremendously cold and wet in Los Angeles, so donating any unused socks, pants, sweats and other useful clothing items are much needed.
If you have already donated clothing and other items and still want to help, a great way to give back is to donate your time at these food banks or shelters. Volunteers are always needed to hand out hot meals or kits. Many of these places offer weekend hours if weekdays don’t work for your schedule.
Any form of giving back to the unhoused community is appreciated, and I am a firm believer our actions will make for a bigger change in this situation. The more we go out and help, the more progress and hope is being created. This has definitely been a wake up call for my family and I, especially since we are always looking for ways to give back to our community and to others as a whole. Seeing how awful the houseless situation has become has truly made me sit down and think about how I can use the privileges that I have to assist others, and I really encourage anyone reading this to do the same.
I am not asking for money or for you to donate to a specific charity, but rather to donate your time and energy into a situation that is steadily getting worse. Even the smallest actions can make the biggest impacts, and I again encourage everyone to help and take action in any way that they can. I am going to regularly be updating my social media pages with testimonials and stories from others who have been helping alongside with me, as well as updates on the communities that we are giving back to. If you would like to keep up with this, feel free to follow along with me on Instagram.
There are many ways we can give back to our unhoused communities and action is one of them. If you would like more information on the houseless crisis in Los Angeles County, feel free to click through the resources down below.
