SF: From National Disgrace to National Model

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is including several million dollars more in his annual budget for homeless services. Since 2002, San Francisco says that homelessness has decreased by 38 percent. When success occurs, the money follows.

The SF Mayor says that San Francisco used to be the “national disgrace” for homelessness in America. Now, he says, SF is a “national model.”

Here in Los Angeles, the federal HUD agency actually denied $15 million of housing for the homeless in Los Angeles. And we are no where near housing the 90,000 homeless population. When it rains, it pours.

Perhaps the “national disgrace” title has been moved south from SF to LA?

(Pic from www.danheller.com)

NYC Subways Becoming Homeless Shelters

In recent years, city officials in New York City have touted their success in reducing the number of homeless people. They cite their one billion dollar a year investment in homeless services, a “right to shelter” law, the “broken windows” theory, and their tremendous investment in permanent supportive housing as the reasons for reducing homelessness.

As the movement to end homelessness in New York City continues, however, it appears that homelessness is on the rise in this city in several areas. NYC shelters are seeing an increase in homeless families.

And, now, it appears that there is a 33% increase in the number of homeless people living in NYC’s subway system. Around 1,600 people are living in the underground metro system. Going underground seems to be a natural place to get away from the elements. However, they are clearly not appropriate shelters.

(Pic from www.goodexperience.com)

Hmmm... I Wonder Why Homelessness Continues In L.A.?

Let's look at the facts, as described by the L.A. Times today:

37,658
Number of new residents in 2006

10,239
Number of new housing units in '06

I guess when you only build 10,000 housing units, and 37,000 more people move in... 36,000 people have to live somewhere... either double up with other families, live in illegal structures (a rented garage in the back of a home), or live on the streets (homeless).

No More Homelessness In L.A.—At Least For The Beckham’s

The British soccer star and his Spice Girls wife, David & Victoria Beckham are no longer homeless in Los Angeles. They bought a $20 million home in Beverly Hills with six bedrooms.

Beckham plans to play for the L.A. soccer team this summer. But for months, this couple were unable to decide on what house to buy in Los Angeles.

Two down, and 90,000 more homeless people to house, before Los Angeles has ended homelessness…

“Broken Windows” Turns 25

It was 25 years ago that the “Broken Windows” theory of policing was developed. Today, we can see it in full force in downtown Los Angeles’ Skid Row area.

I wrote about “Broken Windows” in my book. Here is an excerpt:

In the 1980’s a re-invention of this program transformed it from more than just projecting a safer neighborhood into a fear-reducing, neighborhood clean-up program called, “Broken Windows.” The approach was simple. Many people feared violent crime, but were also afraid of being bothered by disorderly people—you know, the drunks, mentally ill, vagrants. Basically, the homeless. In order to reduce major crimes, law enforcement must reduce minor crimes and community blight. That means ordinances against public nuisance activities, and activities to clean up blight—graffiti, illegal dumping, and broken windows.

It’s the old “there goes the neighborhood” perspective. You know, when the neighbor down the street stops mowing his lawn and leaves beat-up old cars in his driveway, and the place starts looking like a run-down shack from the other side of the railroad track. The rest of the neighbors freak out thinking that the whole area is going down hill.

This is the justification for approving public nuisance ordinances. You deal with the bad seed of a neighbor down the street and the community returns to its pristine-looking Ozzie and Harriet neighborhood we all still dream about.

Deal with the homeless problem through stronger police action, and we’re back to the future—the 1950’s become today. A mom and a dad with 2.5 children living behind a white picket fenced post-World War Two suburban home. But certainly no homeless people sporting tattered cardboard signs at street corners. If only it was as simple as Michael J. Fox driving a souped-up Delorean back to the future. And our dreams would come true.

Unfortunately, the 2000’s are not the 1950’s. And unfortunately, law enforcement on their own, cannot solve this terrible community dilemma of people sleeping on the streets. Undoubtedly, law enforcement must be one important piece of the solution pie, they just can’t be the whole pie.

(Pic from www.codinghorror.com)