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On Eve of 2019 Homeless Count, Angelenos Want a Straight Answer

May 22, 2019 by Jonathan Leave a Comment

LACANetwork 
Despite a hiring spree of city employees and non-profit outreach workers, and after almost three years to get the operation going, funded by millions of dollars taxpayer approved money each year, L.A.’s homeless crisis isn’t getting better.

That is the takeaway from a recent briefing on homelessness and the 2019 point-in-time count, the results of which are due to be released May 31. “I’ll tell you it’s gone up. We don’t have our final numbers, but I expect… at least some double-digit increase,” Mayor Eric Garcetti said of the pending report from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA).

 
“The politics of homelessness is on full display in Los Angeles,” said Pete White, executive director of LA CAN,” and local officials invested more in rhetoric than work will face the political consequences of their inaction.  As the houseless death toll continues to climb (918 in 2018) all Angelenos should be outraged and ready to hold accountable those entrusted to solve the crisis.”

The city’s lack of progress in reigning in homelessness comes as no surprise to Angelenos: an ABC7-TV poll found a majority of Southern California residents say a measure aimed at creating homes for houseless people is failing. Proposition HHH, the $1.2 billion bond program to add 10,000 units of permanent supportive Housing, has been plagued by mismanagement, skyrocketing costs and neighborhood resistance.

The Los Angeles Times, too, has been critical of local officials’ efforts to get people off the street and into housing. In addition to the slow pace of HHH-funded construction, the Times mentioned the wait for permanent housing has stretched to an average of 215 days and the city’s $77-million shelter expansion plan has produced two facilities, with room for 147 people. Authorities reported that 53,000 people were homeless in the L.A. area in 2018.

Passed overwhelmingly by voters in November 2016, Prop. HHH has not lived up to the hype. The 10-year permanent-supportive housing goal has shrunk to under 6,000 units, the construction cost per unit exceeds $500,000, and three years into the effort none of the projects have opened yet. The disparity between what was promised and what happened has made residents skeptical about the city’s plan for dealing with homelessness.

Those in charge of administering L.A.’s homeless policy are not helping matters by withholding information.  LAHSA’s 2019 point-in-time count, which was conducted in January, is being held for “further analysis,” executive director Peter Lynn told the L.A. County Board of Supervisions.

Additionally, the City Controller’s Office has yet to complete the first year audit of Proposition HHH finances, as required by the ballot measure, and make it available to the public. This is particularly concerning as nearly all of the $1.2 billion bond funds have been committed with little to show for it except stepped up LAPD enforcement around encampments and outreach workers collecting vast amounts of information from homeless people without having housing to offer in return.

A spokesman for City Controller Ron Galperin said the audit will be ready “this year.”

Houseless people in L.A. are dying in record numbers (918 last year), elected leaders are dusting off old ideas that have never helped people exit homelessness (such as the mayor’s citywide shelter program), and the FBI gathered Prop. HHH records as part of its ongoing corruption probe of City Hall.  At the same time, advocates charge that HHH funds have been misappropriated for projects that are prohibited under the city’s own regulations for permanent supportive housing.

One of the unintended consequence of the botched HHH rollout is the rise of NIMBYISM.  Across the city, efforts to site homeless housing have been challenged aggressively by neighborhood groups afraid that their property values will nosedive, crime and drug abuse will increase and their communities will become magnets for “outsiders” looking for a handout.  Unfortunately, some private citizens are taking matters in their own hands by threatening unhoused people; placing illegal planter boxes, gardens and other obstacles on public sidewalks, and harassing folks who provide food and other assistance for their less fortunate neighbors.

Any plan to eradicate homelessness won’t be effective until we see the unhoused for what they really are: human.

The Los Angeles Community Action Network (LA CAN) and a coalition of groups working together with unhoused residents demand an end to the failed status quo. We’ve called for greater transparency and accountability, offered suggestions for building low-income housing faster and cheaper and argued that those experiencing homelessness should have a voice in solving the problem.

“The politics of homelessness is on full display in Los Angeles,” said Pete White, executive director of LA CAN,” and local officials invested more in rhetoric than work will face the political consequences of their inaction.  As the houseless death toll continues to climb (918 in 2018) all Angelenos should be outraged and ready to hold accountable those entrusted to solve the crisis.”

Suggestions for resolving the city’s top political issue:

Involve the community. Rather than give the homeless policy establishment more money to do what they do regardless of the outcome, the mayor and city council must include impacted communities in creating and implementing housing policy.  Unhoused people know what they need and have proven solutions that foster self-determination and stress the need for housing first.  Instead of holding job fairs to fill homeless services positions, priority should be given to hiring houseless people with lived experience.

Look outside the box. Today there are new manufacturing technologies to build homes faster and cheaper.  Micro homes, shipping container apartments, and 3-D printing are viable alternatives to traditional construction methods.  In accordance with the mayor’s recently unveiled sustainability plan (L.A.’s version of a Green New Deal), the city can create a “greenprint” for others to follow by developing climate-friendly, clean energy communities, or “EcoHoods,” throughout the city.  Consisting of studio size units with solar power, composting toilets and reduced carbon footprints — and designs that are architecturally consistent with any neighborhood — EcoHoods can play a key role in providing stable housing for low-income Angelenos.

Stanch the “in-flow” of people being pushed out by rising rents.  Mayor Garcetti must fully fund the Right to Counsel Ordinance.  A growing coalition of organizers, advocates, legal services organizations and activists wants $10 million added to the mayor’s budget to halt the in-flow of those rapidly entering the ranks of houselessness. That money would go to legal aid, education, outreach and emergency payments to help keep struggling renters in their homes.

Prioritize city-owned proprieties for housing. Despite a real estate portfolio valued at an estimate $3 billion, there’s no long-term strategy for leveraging L.A.’s incredible wealth of city-owned land to alleviate the homeless crisis. The city controller found that there are up to 500 underused city-owned sites available for development. The McKinsey Global Institute estimated in a 2016 report that there are also 5,600 to 8,900 vacant parcels, both publicly and privately owned, zoned for multifamily development throughout the region. All city-owned parcels should be analyzed as potential sites for low-income housing before they are considered for sale or alternative development.

Tap additional sources of revenue. Whether or not the HHH goal of adding 10,000 permanent supportive housing units is achieved, Mayor Garcetti needs to use his bully pulpit to secure additional homeless funding from state and federal programs and philanthropists, as well as landlord linkage fees and the PledgeLA technology industry initiative which was created to “promote civic engagement” and employment opportunities across “L.A.’s booming and dynamic tech sector.”  (Los Angeles is one of the fastest-growing tech hubs in the country and industry leaders have the financial firepower to jump-start homeless housing projects.)

Protect affordable housing. Every year thousands of rent controlled units are taken off the market, leaving many rent-burdened tenants (people who spend more than 50% of their income on housing) without a place to live. There must be stiffer laws to discourage the demolition of rent-stabilized apartments and preserve the existing inventory.

Mayor Eric Garcetti promised in his recent State of the City address that “in this coming year, we will start seeing a difference on our sidewalks and in our communities.”
The release of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority’s annual homeless count numbers on May 31 will provide an indicator if indeed progress is being made.
 

Filed Under: Los Angeles Community Action Network, WRAP Members

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Part 12... Infractions and Due Process Rights Ant Part 12...
Infractions and Due Process Rights 
Anti-homeless laws and ordinances and their application have, in fact, created a loophole that allows for the circumvention of a homeless person’s right to due process under law. The process by which homeless people face repeated incarceration generally follows this scenario: A homeless man is sleeping on the sidewalk. A local ordinance makes it illegal to do so. The man gets a ticket and is later arrested for not paying the ticket. He spends a couple of days in jail, and is just as homeless now as he was before, only now he has a criminal record. This was the case for many of the individuals interviewed by RWHP. One man relayed the familiar scenario, “I was sleeping in a tent in a hidden spot near the freeway. They gave me a ticket for trespassing. I don’t have money to pay it. I’ve never been in jail before. I keep to myself, but now they’re going to make me a convict just for sleeping.”
SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT TALKING DOWN THE PEOPLES TOWMH SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT TALKING DOWN THE PEOPLES TOWMHOMES ENCAMPMENT https://www.instagram.com/tv/ChAT9N5jNTY/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

This morning @phillysheriff ‘s came and evicted our protest encampment to Save the UC Townhomes. When asked why they were doing it, Rochelle Bilal responded that she “felt compassion for the townhomes residents but was just doing my job”

Even if the tents are gone WE AINT GOIN NOWHERE‼️
Saturday AUGUST 27 — 9 am to 4pm Sunday AUGUST 2 Saturday AUGUST 27 — 9 am to 4pm
Sunday AUGUST 28 — 12:30pm to 4pm

Westminster Presbyterian Church
1300 N Street, Sacramento

https://wraphome.org/2022/08/02/sacramento-ca-advocates-community-summit-on-homelessness-august-27-28th/
California. (S)Care Court Hearing Tomorrow 8/3 Las California. (S)Care Court Hearing Tomorrow 8/3 Last Hearing before floor Vote
https://conta.cc/3vzRoWo
Part 11 ... California’s “anti-Okie” laws of Part 11 ...
California’s “anti-Okie” laws of the 1930s and the South’s Jim Crow laws in effect from the late 1800s to the 1950s are examples of the kinds of local laws overturned in previous generations. Yet, modern “quality of life” legislation and enforcement targeting homeless people can be found in communities across the nation.
The City Council postponed their vote on the 41.18 The City Council postponed their vote on the 41.18 expansion to August 2nd. If passed, this motion will add approximately 1,900 additional sites–a 376% increase in exclusionary zones across the city. 41.18 would then cover at least 88 sq miles (that’s 20% of the entire city).

Services Not Sweeps is urging EVERYONE to come to City Hall at 9:00am on August 2 and tell City Council that 41.18 is BAD POLICY and should be repealed.

When we fight, we win. 
But this fight isn’t over.

The community flooded City Hall inside and out on Wednesday to protest the expansion of 41.18 but the fight is not over. It’s clear that President Nury Martinez and friends weren’t prepared for our numbers and realized they were unable to rally their (few but loud) 41.18 supporters. Council delayed the vote to Tuesday August 2nd in an attempt to erode our momentum and stifle our voices. 
 
We won’t let that happen. The fight now is to keep the pressure on and show up next week!! See you next Tuesday 9am. Bring a friend.
 
WHO: You and your friends!
WHERE: City Hall, 200 N Spring St 
WHEN: Tuesday August 2nd at 9:00am
HOW: Read more details on our toolkit.
AGENDA ITEM 14 https://lacity.primegov.com/Portal/Meeting?meetingTemplateId=102513
Part 10... In fact, however, enforcement is very m Part 10...
In fact, however, enforcement is very much impacted by both skin color and appearance. Local governments cannot legally discriminate against people strictly because they do not have housing. Federal protections prohibit local and state governments from removing people from their communities due to the color of their skin or economic/employment status.
Part 9... This nationwide pattern has escaped Civi Part 9... This nationwide pattern has escaped Civil Rights protections because on their face, these programs are not clearly discriminatory. Local laws are often drafted in such a way as to appear to apply equally to all people in a community.
Part 8... While certain communities highlight diff Part 8...
While certain communities highlight different controls at different times, often depending upon the outcome of local elections and legislative and court efforts, all have one primary common goal: to remove the presence and resulting impact of people without housing from local communities. As the Mayor of Las Vegas stated when she outlawed feeding people in city parks: “If we stop feeding them, they will leave.”
Part 7... This type of ticket is not uncommon. The Part 7...
This type of ticket is not uncommon. The most common public space and activity restrictions are those aimed at camping, sitting, lying, or trespassing on either public or private land, panhandling, sleeping, blocking the sidewalk and possessing “stolen property,” such as shopping carts and milk crates—to name just a few. Furthermore, these restrictions are often implemented in conjunction with the closure of public parks and the outlawing of free food and clothing distribution.
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6 hours ago
Part 12...
Infractions and Due Process Rights 

Anti-homeless laws and ordinances and their application have, in fact, created a loophole that allows for the circumvention of a homeless person’s right to due process under law. The process by which homeless people face repeated incarceration generally follows this scenario: A homeless man is sleeping on the sidewalk. A local ordinance makes it illegal to do so. The man gets a ticket and is later arrested for not paying the ticket. He spends a couple of days in jail, and is just as homeless now as he was before, only now he has a criminal record. This was the case for many of the individuals interviewed by RWHP. One man relayed the familiar scenario, “I was sleeping in a tent in a hidden spot near the freeway. They gave me a ticket for trespassing. I don’t have money to pay it. I’ve never been in jail before. I keep to myself, but now they’re going to make me a convict just for sleeping.”
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Part 12...
Infractions and Due Process Rights
Anti-homeless laws and ordinances and their application have, in fact, created a loophole that allows for the circumvention of a homeless person’s right to due process under law.

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SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT TALKING DOWN THE PEOPLES TOWMHOMES ENCAMPMENT
“felt compassion for the townhomes residents but was just doing my job”
Even if the tents are gone WE AINT GOIN NOWHERE‼️

Image for the Tweet beginning: SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT TALKING DOWN THE Twitter feed image.
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Press Release: Beyond the Virginia Key Bantustan, reject any tiny homes plan that excludes homeless input - WRAP

Press Release: Beyond the Virginia Key Bantustan, reject any tiny homes plan that excludes homeless input - WRAP

October 22nd Alliance to End Homelessness Press Release August 8, 2022 Beyond the Virginia Key Bantustan, reject any...

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Los Angeles Homeless Sweeps Taxpayers pay over $70 million each year for the Los Angeles Police Department and LA Sanitation to displace homeless people under the guise of street cleaning. via @YouTube

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Los Angeles Homeless Sweeps

Taxpayers pay over $70 million each year for the Los Angeles Police Department and LA Sanitation to displace homel...

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NEW EPISODE of Fixing Our City. Houston set out to end chronic homelessness. It cut its homeless population by more than half in a decade, according to PIT counts. This week's fix: how do San Francisco’s initiatives compare with Houston's success story?

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Houston’s homelessness strategy could be a roadmap

Fixing Our City podcast: Texas’ largest city is getting national attention for its...

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