Why It Is Essential to Focus on Finding Solutions for the Rising Homeless Crisis in LA
Currently, fifty to sixty thousand people are experiencing homelessness on any given night in Los Angeles. The statistic has transitioned from a shocking number to our everyday reality. Tens of thousands of people living in squalor on our streets is far too many - for the sake of our humanitarian, social, and economic well-being, permanent solutions must be found.
Ruth Schwartz, the head of the homeless relief and policy development organization Shelter Partnership, has stated that Los Angeles is at a “critical juncture in addressing the humanitarian crisis on our streets, and the overarching economic factors that created it.” Our system can’t keep up with the growing problem. The demand for services if outweighed by the amount of aid that is available.
The issue is only growing. A recent estimate by the Economic Round-table “put the number of people falling into homelessness in Los Angeles County during any given month at at least 10,900 people.” Many of these newly homeless families are able to re-house themselves without the homeless case management system, but a large number of individuals are not. These individuals begin the cycle of homelessness on our streets.
We continue to make excuses for our inability to productively solve this expensive and critical catastrophe in our city. The issue is - there is no perfect solution. There is no quick fix for this crisis. But stalling until we have found an ideal solution is not an option. In a perfect world, there is a permanent home for every displaced individual. But in the meantime, we must act in the ways that we can. It is necessary that we find both permanent and temporary solutions for our Los Angeles residents suffering from homelessness.
Regardless of our political opinions, it is essential that we all encourage city officials to enforce regulations for homeless individuals. Our leaders must continue to encourage those experiencing homelessness to participate in programs for shelter and services. As a city, we must prepare ourselves to provide the homeless with safe and sanitary conditions. These programs must incentivize the homeless to continue utilizing services. These individuals need access to job assistance, mental health care, and emergency services to rehabilitate.
Ending homelessness doesn’t just benefit the homeless - it benefits all of us. When we get people off the streets and into appropriate services, we improve the overall state of our community. Reintroducing these individuals into society as workers and consumers is good for business and the economy. Finding solutions also improves the sanitary conditions of our shared environment. Our streets, parks, and metros are for us to utilize, not to bypass. If we can find solutions to the humanitarian crisis, we can all enjoy our city together.
It is time to act. If we don’t push for action now, the most vulnerable members of our community will perish while we wait for the perfect solution. That option is inadmissible. Eyal Gutentag