Poll Shows L.A. Housing Bond Could Pass

A Washington D.C.-based consulting firm released results to a June survey of L.A. voters likely to vote in the November 2006 election regarding the proposed L.A. Housing Bond.

Here’s what they said:

Based on its initial support, the LA housing bond has a good chance of passing. More than two-thirds of voters currently support the LA housing bond (68 percent), while only 28 percent oppose it…

Voters’ support for the LA housing bond is stronger than their support for the state-wide housing bond. Forty (40) percent of voters say they are more likely to support the Los Angeles housing bond after learning about matching funds from the state under the state-wide bond; however, more voters say that the matching funds make no difference to them (46 percent)...

The Right Goal:The 2006 Homeless World Cup

For die-hard soccer fans, the recently ended World Cup in Germany also ended their month-long adrenaline rushes. But all is not lost. Coming soon… The Homeless World Cup.

South Africa will be hosting 48 countries for the fourth annual Homeless World Cup. These countries from around the world are providing national soccer teams consisting of homeless people.

The goal of this unique sports tournament is: To kick off global poverty and change their [the soccer players’] lives forever.

In last year’s World Cup tournament, many lives were changed:

· 94% (198 players) have a new motivation for life

· 85% (179 players) have improved social relations

· 77% (164 players) have changed their lives significantly in one or more of the following ways:

· 38% (80 players) have regular employment

· 40% (85 players) have improved their housing situation

· 28% (60 players) have opted to develop their education

· Of the 43% (91 players) addressing a drug or alcohol dependency, 68% (62 players) succeeded

· 12 players now make their living partly from football as coaches or players with professional and semi-professional teams.

A Billion Dollar Housing Bond For Los Angeles

I was at the Los Angeles City Council meeting yesterday to support the billion dollar Housing Bond. The City Council voted to begin the process of putting this historic proposition on this November’s ballot.

A Billion Dollars will provide approximately 1,000 new and affordable housing units per year for homeless people, people living in poverty, as well as for middle class families who just can’t afford to buy a home in Los Angeles.

The ballot proposition will need a two-thirds majority in order to pass.

Here’s what L.A. City Council President Eric Garcetti—who is part of the leadership of this initiative—says in his blog:

Angelenos hope for a future where working men and women can afford to rent or buy a home with the wages they earn. We hope for a future where housing rises next to jobs and commute times fall. We hope for a solution to the plight of the tens of thousands of people who have no home at all. The bond that advanced in council today is an investment in our hopes.

Is It Wrong To Clean Our Streets?

Why would anyone try to stop the city from cleaning up its streets? This is the emotional debate that is going on right now, as local officials try to sweep and steam clean some sidewalks within the “Skid Row” area of downtown Los Angeles.

Homeless advocates are physically trying to stop the city trucks and workers. They claim that this clean up is just a way of forcing the homeless to move, taking away the possessions of homeless people, and even criminalizing homelessness.

Are these city trucks and workers mechanical wolves gobbling up the mere possessions of the homeless?

Or should a city be allowed to clean up its streets?

I wrote an op-ed piece in the LA Times a couple of years back, called “Clean Streets, Not Mean Streets.” The logic is that if there are enough places for the homeless to go, then communities should be able to clean up their streets.

However, timing is a big issue here. With 90,000 homeless and only 12,000 shelter beds, it will take years to have enough shelter or housing. So in the mean time are cities’ hands tied to do nothing?

I think there is a difference between arresting homeless people for loitering, etc.—and cleaning up the streets. The health hazards of people living on the streets must be taken in consideration.

There are two main values here:

(1) People should not be living on our streets; and frankly, should have the right to shelter.

(2) Cities should be able to clean their streets and keep them safe.

Can we do both, if there is a real strong effort?

State Housing Funding: L.A. Should Receive It’s Fair Share

It was announced today that the State Department of Housing and Community Development awarded $210.7 million of Proposition 46 affordable housing funds.

Proposition 46 is the $2.1 billion affordable housing bond that was approved by voters in 2002.

Interestingly, the San Francisco region will receive $59.9 million for affordable housing. While, the Los Angeles area will receive $42.9 million.

This just doesn’t make sense.

When Los Angeles County has almost 90,000 homeless people, and San Francisco has a homeless population of approximately 15,000, it doesn’t make sense that Los Angeles would receive less affordable housing funding than San Francisco.

TIME Numbers: Sad Facts On Homeless Vets

In this week's TIME Magazine, some sad NUMBERS are published:

200,000 Estimated number of homeless veterans in the U.S.

10% Percentage of homeless vets who fought in the current conflict in Iraq or the 1991 Gulf War. About 40% fought in Vietnam.

(Thanks to www.finishing-school.net for the pic.)

State Legislators Decide To Address Foster Care Flaws

It appears the politicians in Sacramento are proposing 23 new bills to address the problems in our Foster Care System that is currently causing many of our youth to end up homeless.

Here is some info from the Daily Bulletin:

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The state's Select Committee on Foster Care, created last November, has spearheaded a package of 23 bills to solve the myriad issues that plague the 87,000 children in the system. The packet was heard last week in the Assembly and state Senate and will be heard again when the Legislature returns in the first week of August.

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Among the bills in the packet is one penned by Bass, which includes a five-year strategy to lighten social workers' caseloads.

Another bill by Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, would provide college tuition waivers and housing preferences for foster youth.

Foster care reform received $82 million in the 2006-2007 state budget which was signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger late in June.