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A dear friend of mine passed away on October 10th at 3 a.m. in the morning. She dedicated the past 15-20 years of her life to feeding the homeless in Downtown L.A. She fed them with her own money, and with the donations and volunteerwork from her actor friends from all over town. She is known as Mama D. by her friends and she has many of them.
So many of us talk about wanting to help, and we even donate to different organizations. We want to end poverty through Bono’s One Campaign, and through celebrity fundraisings. But the truth is, very few people do what Mama D. did. She looked at her community and did her best to help those in need in her very own ‘backyard.’
Homelessness is increasing in Los Angeles and in Hollywood every day and Los Angeles has the larges homeless population in the U.S. More and more people are sleeping on the sidewalks on Hollywood Blvd and we learn to ignore them, to step over them and hope that the police will take care of them.
A few things to know:
- Captain Fry, the local Los Angeles Fire Captain said, that 1/3rd of their resources and budget are used addressing problems that are related to homelessness. This includes medical problems that incur on the street to using helicopters and firefighters to put out the fires that is caused by the homeless in our parks.
- 25% of those that are admitted to city jails are homeless. It is not unusual for homeless people to continue to commit minor offenses so that they can return to the relative safety and warmth of a jail cell. The typical cost of a prison bed in a state or federal facility is $20,000 per year, compared to a typical annual rent subsidy of about $4,500-$6,000
- Homeless persons are more likely to use the most expensive health care interventions, such as emergency rooms. Homeless people spend on average four more days per hospital visit than comparable non-homeless people, at a cost of approximately $2,414 per hospitalization.
Hollywood has decided that it is time to do something. On Hollywood and Gower, there is a plan to build Supportive Housing for the homeless. This is not a shelter, as some might think. A shelter doesn’t give help except shelter. “Supportive housing programs” are programs that are designed to provide supportive services in conjunction with some form of housing assistance—be it small group homes, larger institutions, or apartment-based living.
Supportive Housing, according to many studies, does not bring down the property values, nor does it attract crimes. It helps the individual, the community, and the economy.
Eric Sanjurjo, Councilmember LaBonge’s field Deputy and a neighbor, is a strong supporter of the project and is committed to creating solutions to the problem of homelessness.
Council Member Eric Garcetti is very much in support of this Supportive Housing plan as well.
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa pledged Tuesday, October 25th, 2005, to spend $50 million on a new effort to find long-term solutions for the city’s chronically homeless. City housing officials said that with loan programs and state and federal matching funds, the $50-million investment could be leveraged into $250 million in projects, including new housing units and the conversion of low-priced residential hotels like those in downtown Los Angeles.
Villaraigosa acknowledged that there was more work to be done. He said he hoped the new plans would spark more ambitious ideas in both the private and public sectors. He also said he wanted to find even more money for affordable housing.
There are a lot of individuals who see the benefits and who care to make a difference in their community. Tonight, November 21st, 2005, the Hollywood United Neighborhood Council is going to address the plan and take public comment. They would love to hear your support in this manner because it’s important to not only know what goes on in your neighborhood, but it’s important to speak up and speak out to those who are not knowledgeable about this issue.
There are many experts with ideas on how to address the issue of homelessness and there are many solutions being suggested. It’s hard to know where to start.
So I’ve decided to start by honoring my good friend, Mama D. I’m going to do what I can. Even if it’s just writing a letter or urging those with the resources to act or voicing my support or making a phone call or being friendly to those in need, I know it would make Mama D. proud to know that we have not forgotten those around us who are in need.
I’m going to embrace the opportunity in my neighborhood to help the needy and reach out to the people in my ‘backyard.’
Will you join me?�
Hollywood United Neighborhood Council:
http://www.hollywoodunitednc.org
National Alliance to End Homelessness:
www.endhomelessness.org
Antonio Villaraigosas plan:
www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-housing26oct26,1,7335506.story
Supportive Housing Units for Chronically Homeless Individuals and Families:
www.nyc.gov/html/om/html/2005b/pr417-05.html
The Homeless Services MIS Data Users Group:
www.uphs.upenn.edu/cmhpsr/hdug/website.htm
Lack of Affordable Housing = Homelessness:
www.matewan.squarespace.com/journal/2005/2/23/lack-of-affordable-housing-homelessness.html
First homeless count finds 91,000 in L.A. County:
www.the-tidings.com/2005/0624/homeless.htm
The benefits of supportive housing:
www.csh.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.viewPage&pageId=345&nodeID=81
Policy Guide on Homelessness:
www.planning.org/policyguides/homelessness.htm
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* All photos by Enci Photography
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