5 Yr Plan to End Chronic Homeless in LA County

[Latina7]

Originally Posted by BluSpark

You attitude sucks. Earthquakes are beyond human control. NYC and Denver have made significant declines in their homeless populations using similar strategies.

Lots of these agencies start with good intentions. When it comes to displaced families with children, yes, this is where significant declines of the homeless population shows, but the story is different for the multitude of people that are hard-core addicted to drugs or alcohol, or are mentally -impaired -chemical abusers. These groups need to have their addictions taken care off, first. And that becomes very hard to do, because they usually do not follow rules of treatment.

In many instances, once an agency or the police, begin to try to get them into treatment, they move to another city, or town. They may need to be forced into treatment, via the courts, and that is not likely to happen, because, as it stands now, they have acquired too many rights, that it has become impossible for members of any family to seek help for a mentally-ill -chemical abuser, or hard-core alcohol/drug abuser.

The law states that they cannot be forced into any kind of treament, unless they are willing to agree to abide by all the rules.............and that never happens.........so the family gives up, and the person winds up homeless again.......and again.....and again.

In reality, they have become victims of the same laws that have been enabled to protect them. An extremely sad situation.

[marilyn220]

Originally Posted by BluSpark

You attitude sucks. Earthquakes are beyond human control. NYC and Denver have made significant declines in their homeless populations using similar strategies.

LA isn't like those cities.

There are NO RESOURCES here to really help them. I don't understand it. Governmental agencies don't care just churches, food pantries and charities.

I'd rather die before becoming homeless here.

[SandyCo]

In regards to the mentally ill, I have personal experience with this. My mother was schizophrenic. I had conservatorship over her for a year. She would constantly leave the facility she was placed in; she'd go back to her alcoholic boyfriend. I tried placing her in a locked nursing facility, but there were never any beds available. This was back in the mid-80s. After the conservatorship expired (you have to renew it every year), I didn't renew. God forbid something happened to her while she was supposedly under my care, and then I'd be liable for it! The truth is that California is a terrible place to be mentally ill. In the end, I didn't have the resources to take care of her properly, and I had to choose my own family (my daughter was just a toddler back then) over my mother. It was a terrible choice to have to make, but I'd make the same one today.

I don't know if homelessness can be cured, especially with a certain segment who seem comfortable living that way, but as a caring society, how can we simply sit back and do nothing about the problem?

[BluSpark]

Originally Posted by marilyn220

LA isn't like those cities.

There are NO RESOURCES here to really help them. I don't understand it. Governmental agencies don't care just churches, food pantries and charities.

I'd rather die before becoming homeless here.

The plan as outlined is mostly about redirecting EXISTING RESOURCES and spending them in a more effective and targeted manner.

[drunk on kool aid]

KPCC will host a forum on L.A. homelessness tomorrow, January 26th, 7-9 PM, at their Crawford Family Forum in Pasadena. It's actually a taping for the Patt Morrison show for later broadcast/podcast. Looks like they've assembled a pretty big roster of panelists, including Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky. The event is free but requires an RSVP. Details here:

Homelessness in Los Angeles: from Safer City to Home for Good

I have no connection with KPCC besides as a listener and attendee of their events.

[chispito]

Originally Posted by BluSpark

I probably agree with much of what you are saying. Yet, circa 1960 we had very few homeless people as compared to today.

We also still had remnants of our shame culture back then. This also explains a lot of the education problems we face.