ACLU and City Talks Regarding Skid Row Resume Today…

Negotiations are on again between the ACLU, the City Attorney’s office, and LAPD regarding how to encounter people who are living on the sidewalks of Skid Row.

The issue is whether the LAPD has the right to enforce ordinances that prevent people from sleeping on the sidewalks, whether they only have the right to enforce them in the day time, or whether they have no right.

The LA Downtown News is reporting that there might be a compromise in the works: “A potential compromise could allow people to sleep on the sidewalks between set nighttime hours, as long as they are not in doorways or driveways.”

We will find out if an agreement can be reached…

(Pic from wftv.com)

Affordable Housing in LA:One Step Forward, One Step Back

The Southern California Association of Nonprofit Housing (SCANPH) will release a study today showing that despite the development of new affordable housing units in Los Angeles, older affordable units are also being destroyed.

The bottom line… an almost zero-growth pace in affordable housing units in Los Angeles.

The study shows that 12,800 affordable units were built since 2001. That’s good. But sadly, 11,000 older affordable units were torn down or converted to condominiums.

A net growth of 1,800 new affordable units in the span of five years, is basically nothing.

Paul Zimmerman, the Director of SCANPH is quoted in the LA Times today as saying that “affordability in Los Angeles has been shrinking for 25 years in a largely unfettered market.”

Interestingly, in the past 25 years, homelessness in Los Angeles has increased three-fold—from 25,000 in 1985 to 90,000 today.

There is clearly a link… The reduction of affordable housing units means the increase of homelessness…

(Pic is of St. George Hotel, an innovative permanent supportive housing development in Los Angeles.)

Should Public Libraries Be Off-Limits To Homeless People?

It appears that the public libraries in Los Angeles County are struggling with the issue of homeless people using the library bathrooms to bathe themselves at the sinks. County Librarian Margaret Donnellan Todd told the Board of Supervisors that the libraries are undergoing new security improvements and staff training.

It makes sense that if a person is struggling to live on the streets, he or she would want to find refuge in a safe place. Libraries are quiet, clean, and have public bathrooms. So they have become a refuge for the hurting.

But libraries are not—and should not become—homeless shelters or day centers. Just like public parks should not be de facto homeless shelters.

It is just not right for people—whether or homeless or not—to bathe in public bathrooms, especially when there are children around.

So libraries, as well as other public facilities, should be able to refer homeless people to appropriate homeless services and housing. The problem is there are just not enough homeless programs to meet the growing demand.

East San Gabriel Valley Struggles To Find Solutions To Homelessness

The east side of Los Angeles County is not really known for its homeless problem. But within this suburban neighborhood are nearly 25,000 people who are homeless. And the kicker… there are only 200 shelter beds to house them.

So the East San Gabriel Valley Coalition, a local homeless advocacy group, is trying to find ways to increase the number of permanent shelters in the region.

It is an uphill battle… When the county announced its Homeless Prevention Initiative this year, San Gabriel Valley cities, like West Covina, balked at the idea of increased services. This was NIMBYism (Not in my backyard) at its worst.

You would think that if communities heard there were thousands of its citizens languishing on their streets for survival, that people would mobilize resources to help them. But on the contrary, many communities are saying NO.

But thankfully, homeless advocates are not going to give up their compassionate efforts to house more homeless people.

East San Gabriel Valley should look at this stark reality—only 200 beds to house 25,000 homeless people—and be embarrassed by their lack of compassion.

In all of Los Angeles County, 13% of the homeless population are sheltered… In East San Gabriel Valley, only 0.8% are sheltered. It doesn’t look good…

Dome Village No More?

Two major homeless programs—one in San Diego and the other in downtown Los Angeles—have blasted press releases to the world’s media announcing the closing down of their important homeless programs. Media outlets around the world picked up their “sad” stories.

In San Diego, Father Joe of St. Vincent’s homeless programs announced that his day program would stop serving homeless people because of lack of funding.

Here in Los Angeles, Ted Hayes who created the Dome Village also announced the demise of his transitional housing program. He says that rents have increased so much that he will go out of business.

But there is a catch to both announcements… both Father Joe and Ted Hayes say that if they can raise additional funds, they will keep their programs open.

In San Diego, the public responded with hundreds of thousands of dollars of new support. Ted Hayes says that if he can get the funding he will open up a similar Dome Village somewhere in L.A. County.

Are the plights of both of these nationally known homeless advocates a sign of pending demise?

Or for those who might be more skeptical… are these just PR stints to raise additional funding for their homeless programs?

You decide………..

(Pic of Ted Hayes from LA Downtown News)