Can We End Homelessness?

I came across an interesting post on Facebook today. It was from the L.A. Times. It reported a survey of 9 million public assistance recipients of Los Angeles County, coming to the conclusion that 13,000 of them descend into homelessness each month. The article also states that there was a 12% increase in overall homelessness in the county over the last two years. 


A homeless encampment underneath the 110 Freeway. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)

That is an unbelievable number, right? As one homeless service provider expressed it, “It really brings home, just the sheer numbers. We're talking about 13,000 a month. Even me who works in the field had no idea those numbers were out there.” For those of us who have been homeless, however, this number may not seem so incredible. 

The good news is that 10,000 people were housed over the past three years. Unfortunately, that statistic is shadowed by a 37% rise in chronically homeless people, according to the latest official count. 

I have the privilege of serving as a homeless representative on our county’s Collective Impact (on homelessness) Steering Committee. I’ve learned a lot, and hope I have taught a few people a few things about what homelessness is truly like as well. 

Those co-committee members who may still have a less clear idea of the who?, what?, where?, when?, and why? of homelessness say that we can completely eradicate this social ill. 

Now you know I’m going to tell you what I think of that. 

I would like to say that I believe that we can eradicate homelessness. That would be a lie. Although I’m ever hopeful that we can help as many people as possible who want to be helped, we will always have the poor and unhomed. Here’s why: 

1) Just do the math. 13,000/month x 36 months (3 yrs.) = 468,000 – 10,000 housed = 458,000 left unhoused. Of course I know it’s not this simple. Many people move in and out of homelessness very quickly. Still, you get the general picture. 

2) There are those who do not want to be housed. I can say this is true from personal experience while I was homeless. 

3) There are too many paths into homelessness, and not enough paths out. Lay off/termination, jail, addiction, major illness... All the pitfalls are intertwined, while all the woefully inadequate services function independently for the most part.
Those are my top three reasons I believe the “homeless problem” is here to stay. There are dozens more. 

Still, I also believe there are solutions to drastically decrease the problem, and alleviate the suffering of those who must live on the streets of our cities. 

I’ll present some of them in next week’s blog. 

Please share this post, and comment with your thoughts below. 

Keep your chin up 

RGR 

Visit the Rio Grande Report Facebook page 

Read the entire LA Times article By GALE HOLLAND 

100,000 Homes  

Counterpoint: The Push to End Chronic Homelessness is Working By David Bornstein MAY 28, 2014 11:40 AM from Community solutions via The New York Times 

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