Since homelessness is a top concern of virtually everyone in LA, we should assume that we’ve made it easy for people who are homeless to get shelter and services, right? So they can get off the street quickly?
But we haven’t made it easy. We’ve made it impossible. (thread)
But we haven’t made it easy. We’ve made it impossible. (thread)
Here’s a story from a man who tried to help someone get shelter on a rainy night at 10pm.
He called 211, the County help line, and was referred to a shelter 72 blocks away. Luckily he had a car.
They drove to the shelter. It was locked and dark inside.
instagram.com/p/B6btlTfg2WQ/
He called 211, the County help line, and was referred to a shelter 72 blocks away. Luckily he had a car.
They drove to the shelter. It was locked and dark inside.
instagram.com/p/B6btlTfg2WQ/
He called 211 again from the parking lot -- they now told him that the shelter had been closed since 8pm. He needed to go to another one, a 20 minute drive away.
But 211 refused to call and confirm that the other shelter was open, and refused to provide a phone number.
But 211 refused to call and confirm that the other shelter was open, and refused to provide a phone number.
This man had a phone and a car to shuttle his friend around, but he got so frustrated that he finally decided to check his friend into a motel, hours after starting the process.
Now imagine trying to find help without a car, without a phone, or without any money. Good luck!
Now imagine trying to find help without a car, without a phone, or without any money. Good luck!
Google “sleeping in my car in LA what do I do.”
Most of the top hits are threads on how to avoid the cops. You won’t find a map of legal and safe places to park in LA -- a city that has at least 9,000 people sleeping in their cars every night. That map is nowhere to be found.
Most of the top hits are threads on how to avoid the cops. You won’t find a map of legal and safe places to park in LA -- a city that has at least 9,000 people sleeping in their cars every night. That map is nowhere to be found.
Now search “I am homeless in LA where do I go.”
You’ll find a site with a convoluted list of shelters (most of which aren't walk-in) organized by SPA.
What is a SPA, you ask? WHO CARES?! Why should you have to know what SPA you’re in before you can find a resource close to you?
You’ll find a site with a convoluted list of shelters (most of which aren't walk-in) organized by SPA.
What is a SPA, you ask? WHO CARES?! Why should you have to know what SPA you’re in before you can find a resource close to you?
Why is there money and time to put together this complicated map comparing shelter bed density in different parts of the county, but not a map of shelters with phone numbers so you can find one near you? Or a tally of available beds at each shelter? lacounty.gov/newsroom/homel…
The system can be a nightmare even when you've navigated it before.
When we tried to help people through the homeless coalition I co-founded, it could take days or weeks to get someone into shelter. Sometimes we’d lose touch with people before we were able to find them a bed.
When we tried to help people through the homeless coalition I co-founded, it could take days or weeks to get someone into shelter. Sometimes we’d lose touch with people before we were able to find them a bed.
I'll tell you why LA’s system is so hard to navigate. Because our elected representatives don’t care.
They’ve never tried to use it. They’ve never helped guide someone into shelter, let alone long-term housing or treatment.
This is the system you build when you don't care.
They’ve never tried to use it. They’ve never helped guide someone into shelter, let alone long-term housing or treatment.
This is the system you build when you don't care.
If you haven't read it already, I've released a Housing and Homelessness platform with a number of ways we can begin to fix this -- including a network of walk-in Community Access Centers across the city to help with service navigation. nithyaforthecity.com/platform/housi…
