The homeless population in Los Angeles County rose 12 percent in the past two years to more than 44,000, due to high unemployment, low wages and skyrocketing rents, according to a report released Monday, May 11.
Among one of the most striking findings in the report was an 85 percent jump in the number of tents, vehicles and makeshift encampments with individuals living in them, to about 9,500.
“California was one of the hardest-hit states in the country during the economic recession, suffering high unemployment and high job losses,” the housing authority said in a news release. “There is a lag in rebound, and the working poor and low-income individuals have been hit particularly hard, with the trifecta of unemployment, stagnant wages and a lack of affordable housing.”
The number of homeless individuals was tallied in January and was up from more than 39,000 in 2013, the report stated. Of the 44,000 counted, more than half – 26,000 – live in the City of Los Angeles.
In San Pedro, tents and encampments have been found in alleys, along freeways, in public parks and on downtown sidewalks. The South Bay is among communities that saw the largest rise in its homeless population, from 2,168 in 2013 to 3,006 this year.
“We’ve been observing it for a while,” said Elise Swanson, CEO of the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce, according to the Daily Breeze. “We’ve been seeing the encampments along the freeways and we’ve been feeling it here in downtown.”
Although the overall homeless population increased, the study found that the number dropped among homeless veterans by 6 percent countywide to about 4,400.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has pledged to house all homeless veterans by the end of the year. He also acknowledged that significant progress has been made, but that more must be done.
Studies have found that Southern California is home to some of the most highest rents in the nation. Statewide, 1.5 million households lack access to affordable housing.
“Sixty percent of renters across Los Angeles County are paying more than half of their income on rent,” said Christine Margiotta, vice president of community impact for the United Way of Greater Los Angeles. “One crisis can truly make a difference.”
Advocates for the homeless have pointed the finger at public officials for the problem.
“The city and county have done such a terribly poor job of creating affordable housing, basically they’ve ignored the issue,” said Steve Clare, executive director of Venice Community Housing, according to the Los Angeles Times.
In a study released last month, it was found that Los Angeles spends $100 million annually to deal with homelessness. Much of these funds are used toward arrests and various police services, but no systematic approach is used to solve the problem.
Alice Callaghan, a longtime advocate for homeless individuals on Skid Row, blamed leaders for failing to stop the loss of affordable housing.
“All we get from City Hall is breezy poetry – ‘I will house everybody by next year.’ That’s absurd. There’s no housing to put people in,” she told the Times. “It’s very depressing. I don’t think people understand how bad it is.”
(With reports from Al Jazeera, Daily Breeze, Los Angeles Times, Pasadena Star-News)
(www.asianjournal.news)
(NYNJ May 15-21, 2015 Sec. A pg.4)
