Discouraging News About Homelessness Surprises No One
Tag: Community
This is the first in a series of blogs on the impacts of homelessness in Hollywood and the organizations that are involved. Above photo of an encampment in the Sunset & Vine District in March, 2015.
The headlines confirmed what we all have been experiencing. The official homeless count results were issued by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) on May 11 and the next morning the from page of the LA Times declared, “Homelessness in LA is Everywhere.” Homelessness is up 12 percent in the city and in the county over January 2013. Confirming what the LA Times reported, it is up in every supervisorial district in the county and every council district in the city.
This confirms what many of us viscerally felt after turning in our tally sheets during the official homeless count on the night on January 29, 2015 here in Hollywood. We held onto our tally sheets and noticed 184 tallies in the category “tents, RVs and encampments” on our Hollywood streets. This was a jump of 59 percent over the 116 we had tallied in 2013. When the official count came out, this category was up 85 percent throughout the county.* So what is going on?
I have been involved in many high-level discussions on this topic since the numbers were released. First of all, let me say that there is good news in the homeless count. Veteran homelessness has stayed flat over the past two years, despite an influx of returning vets, many of whom have ended up homeless. This proves that when there is a national commitment (such as the president’s call to end veteran homelessness by the end of 2015) and a local leadership voice (the mayor signing on to the pledge to end veteran homelessness in the city) people feel a sense of accountability. Amazing things can happen when there is an expressed goal, attention paid, and an esprit de corps created.
However, everyone has noticed a visible increase in homelessness. There is someone camping out on nearly every block along Hollywood Blvd. This is new. I have been here in Hollywood for over 18 years, and I have never seen it this impacted.
So, there are several theories floating. Let me share them with you, because they still need to be researched.
1. There is an increase in the presence of mentally ill people who are homeless. The LAHSA count documents an increase of 23 percent in the number of homeless individuals suffering from mental illness (12,253 in the county). It is possible that, while there has been much progress in housing individuals who are homeless (Hollywood 4WRD collectively has housed over 400 people since 2010), the remaining victims are those who are “super-chronic,” or the “most vulnerable.” It is very difficult to secure help for the severely mentally ill and without a concerted effort, these individuals are left to fend for themselves. Or worse, perish on our streets.
2. The fall-out associated with the economic downturn has caught up with many people. Housing costs are soaring while wages are remaining stagnant. A recent New York Times article touches upon how gentrification and housing conversions have placed pressure on the affordable housing stock in Los Angeles. People who were barely holding on have lost their grip. This might explain why there was an 85 percent increase in the category of “tents, encampments and vehicles” in the most recent homeless count. Though there hasn’t been a direct correlation between the fairly recent loss of an apartment and one relegated to sleeping in one’s car, it seems like a logical journey.
3. Statutory changes, whether implemented by the legislature (AB 109) or the voters (Proposition 47) may be resulting in more individuals who otherwise would’ve been “sheltered” in the criminal justice system ending up on our city streets. This is not a statement on the merits of these two laws, but rather an observation on the “unintended consequences.” What is concerning is that individuals who would benefit from mental health treatment or recovery programs for substance abuse are not receiving these supports.
4. People may be lured to California for opportunity. Many people come to California in search of a job or “making it” in the entertainment industry. Those dreams sometimes backfire and people become stranded.
5. People may be lured to the LA area to live the “homeless lifestyle.” There is concern that word of mouth news that ACLU-driven laws in LA have made it easier to “camp out” on our city streets, under overpasses, along the LA River and at the beach makes this city more attractive. This coupled with the mild weather and the misdemeanor status of drug use and possession makes our streets the place of choice to “hang out.”
6. The relative generosity of visitors and pedestrians who give to panhandlers in Hollywood make it easier for individuals to continue their lifestyle of living on the street. In Hollywood, you will not starve and you will not freeze to death. Giving to panhandlers enables this lifestyle, and it would be far more impactful to give to organizations who help homeless individuals leave the streets once and for all. See www.hollywoodsafesidewalks.com.
Against this background, there are bright spots on the horizon. As mentioned above, significant progress is being made in ending veteran homelessness. Systems change is in the works in LA County that will help to match people to the right housing opportunities. A countywide database of all homeless individuals is in the works. And the recent attention played to this issue is generating a good deal of soul-searching about how to best invest time and resources to bring people off the streets.
It’s important that people do not accept this 12 percent rise as the “new normal” and view this as the human crisis it is. Watch for more blogs on this topic in the coming months.
*Note: in the official count, a tent or RV does not equate 1:1. The researchers use a multiplier effect to account for the presence of more than one person per vehicle or encampment.
Homelessness: Facts at a Glance
• Homelessness in LA County increased 12% to 44,359
• Homelessness in LA City increased 12% to 25,686
• Total # of homeless individuals In Council District 13: 2,270
Kerry Morrison is the founder and project director of Heart Forward LA. She is the former executive director of the Hollywood Property Owners Alliance and served as a Mayoral appointee to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA).