Homelessness is an issue that goes back as far as the 1640s. The County of Los Angeles has been trying to combat the issues of homelessness for decades. The total estimated number of people experiencing homelessness in “Los Angeles County” according to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) is “46,874, an overall increase of 2,515 people or 5.7% from 2015 (44,359)” LAHSA.ORG (2016). Although many programs have been developed over the years, the numbers continue to increase for various reasons such as funding. These alarming numbers have caused great concern with Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors (LAC-BOS), prompting them to take an aggressive approach to finding a solution. In 2015, the BOS, in collaboration with the
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They identify policies as a key factor when addressing homelessness; they state that “Workable and effective policies addressing homelessness need to be based on a clear definition of homelessness.” They go on to state that “older outdated policies only address minimal issues of homelessness and failing to recognize the dynamics involved will result in less effectiveness. “Good practice” policy incorporates changing how homelessness is seen and by addressing the housing psychological and social needs of the homeless, as well as integrating across programs and increasing independence through capacity building.” Another key factor related to the homeless issue is inequality among residents. Greene, S., Pendall, R., Scott, M., & Lei, S. (2016) argue that “cities drive economic growth in high-income countries, creating hubs of innovation and generating an outsized share of national wealth.” However, we clearly see increasing signs that the benefits of urban economies are not disbursed evenly among city residents. Income inequalities continue to increase in cities with a large population, but these discrepancies only tell part of the story.” The authors go on to identify how poverty is ongoing regardless of economic increases and that “economic mobility appears blocked for many urban residents.” They state that “low-income individuals are being left out and overlooked with jobs and schools, thereby, limiting their opportunities for success and “leaving them stuck in poverty for years or even for generations.” This not only affects the individuals it also affects the economy and according to the author also “threatens the health, stability, and cohesion of cities and undermines national
They identify policies as a key factor when addressing homelessness; they state that “Workable and effective policies addressing homelessness need to be based on a clear definition of homelessness.” They go on to state that “older outdated policies only address minimal issues of homelessness and failing to recognize the dynamics involved will result in less effectiveness. “Good practice” policy incorporates changing how homelessness is seen and by addressing the housing psychological and social needs of the homeless, as well as integrating across programs and increasing independence through capacity building.” Another key factor related to the homeless issue is inequality among residents. Greene, S., Pendall, R., Scott, M., & Lei, S. (2016) argue that “cities drive economic growth in high-income countries, creating hubs of innovation and generating an outsized share of national wealth.” However, we clearly see increasing signs that the benefits of urban economies are not disbursed evenly among city residents. Income inequalities continue to increase in cities with a large population, but these discrepancies only tell part of the story.” The authors go on to identify how poverty is ongoing regardless of economic increases and that “economic mobility appears blocked for many urban residents.” They state that “low-income individuals are being left out and overlooked with jobs and schools, thereby, limiting their opportunities for success and “leaving them stuck in poverty for years or even for generations.” This not only affects the individuals it also affects the economy and according to the author also “threatens the health, stability, and cohesion of cities and undermines national