Tents of homeless people are seen in the rain in downtown Los Angeles, California
LOS ANGELES (California), Jan 12 (NNN-Xinhua) — Los Angeles County, the most populous county in the United States, approved a motion to declare a state of emergency over its homeless crisis.
Homelessness is a specific and prolonged emergency impacting more individuals than other emergencies, said the motion co-authored by L.A. County supervisors Lindsey Horvath and Kathryn Barger.
“Homelessness is a complicated and multifaceted issue that requires, among other things, the development of new affordable housing, including land-use policy decisions to permit such housing,” said the motion, calling for the county, home to over 10 million residents, to provide critical services to unhoused individuals, including general health, mental health and substance abuse treatment services.
As of early 2022, L.A. County had 69,144 unhoused residents, including 70 percent unsheltered, the highest number of unsheltered persons in the country. Since 2015, the number of unhoused individuals in the county has increased by 55 percent, said the motion.
On her first day as Los Angeles mayor on Dec 12, 2021, Karen Bass declared a local emergency related to homelessness in the city, the county seat of L.A. County.
County officials said the reasons for homelessness are complex. “Those that become unhoused are frequently rent-burdened, live paycheck-to-paycheck, and many report suffering from serious mental illness or substance abuse issues. One-time events such as job loss, medical incidents, significant unforeseen costs, and no-fault evictions, also often lead individuals to become unhoused.”
The declaration of a state of emergency over the county’s homeless crisis will expedite supportive and material services for those unhoused, they said.
Still, many living on downtown Los Angeles’ 6th Street said they have no clue about the motion’s impact on them. Some thought it means housing placements.
A man in his 60s, who refused to give his name, told Xinhua he has been allowed by officials to live in a tent on one sidewalk of the street if he can clean the portion of the sidewalk he lives. The man said he is worried about his chance to apply for a place in a shelter because of his past criminal record.
Alex Mecl, founder and chairman of Californian nonprofit organization Ribbon for Humanity, told Xinhua the motion is “the first step in the right direction to bring public attention to this escalating crisis in the United States.”
“It will take a collective effort and collaboration between public and private interest groups and organizations to help work towards solving this insurmountable problem facing our country,” he added.
The homeless crisis is a serious problem for the county, for California, and for the country, said Maggie Wang, co-founder and president of the organization. “The solution to homelessness should be more than a campaign slogan,” Wang said.
US federal data showed more than 580,000 people were experiencing homelessness in the country in January 2022. Los Angeles and New York, the two most populous US cities, reportedly have the largest concentrations of homeless people. — NNN-XINHUA
