Poverty Is The Precursor To Homelessness…
The Institute For The Study of Homelessness and Poverty put out some facts on the recent Economic Roundtable study called, “Poverty, Inequality, and Justice: A Vanishing Middle Class in Southern California.”
Here are some of the facts:
* Nearly 1/3 of LA County, or 3.1 million residents, received public assistance in 2002.
* The bottom 17% of LA County wage earners received 2% of the total county income, compared to the top 6% who received 29% of county income in 1999.
* 7% of those on public assistance were homeless in 2002.
* South LA has the highest percentage of residents aged 24 or older without a high school diploma (48%), while West LA has the lowest (6%).
* The number of residents on Cal Works in LA County in 20 half that of 1996.
What does this all mean? Besides dealing with the existing people living on our streets, if we don’t also address poverty, homelessness will just increase.
Coincidentally, Mayor Villaraigosa will be hosting a poverty task force for the U.S. Conference of Mayors today in Los Angeles. They will be addressing education, jobs, and financial security for poor families.
Here’s what the LA Times reports about the Mayor’s efforts:
__________
Public policy experts give Villaraigosa high marks for making poverty a priority, even as they point out the delicate balance he must strike between the often-competing interests of labor and big business.
"He's staking his political future on solving a problem that a lot of mayors give up on," said Peter Dreier, a public policy professor at Occidental College and director of the school's Urban and Environmental Policy Program.
"There are a lot of easier roads on which to build a national political profile than to tackle homelessness and poverty in your backyard. I think it's a statement about his core values," the professor added.
posted by LA's Homeless Blog at
8:06 AM
6 Comments:
Hello, Haven't read all this yet. Many in homes are one paycheck away from becoming homeless. I think one of the problems in LA county is the illegal immigrants that come here and are willing to work for less money, being able to do so because they live (sometimes illegally) crowded together, many to share costs. President Bush recently stated we need illegal immigrants because they do jobs Americans won't do. Huh? I've been turned down for jobs because I didn't speak Spainish, ostrazied when doing the same temp job for the same reason. The low wages created by the illegals, won't pay rent. In addition rents in Long Beach have doubled on old, roach infested affordable apartments. Rent control is the first step in preventing homelessness for many. My father was an immigrant, but came here legally and became a citizen. People that cross the borders illegally, often engage in other illegal activities. Read about much welfare fraud. Born citizen's needs have taken second place to illegal immigrant's needs as far as health care goes. Clinics are closing on account of it. If they want to stay here, make them become citizens. Immigrants from other country's aren't catered to like the Latino's are.
Rambling. Anyway there is a need for shelters for woman that are not alcoholics or drug users.
Great article! Thanks.
Nice Blog!
Thanks for interesting article.
Thank You! Very interesting article. Do you can write anything else about it?
Very interesting site. Blog is very good. I am happy that I think the same!
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