A Dynamic and Deepening Crisis That Demands Our Attention
By Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas
The Board of Supervisors’ most recent initiative set aside $4 million for teams of social workers and health professionals to go out into the streets of Skid Row and connect homeless single adults to housing and supportive services.
Los Angeles County has half a million more very low-income households than available apartments so the typical monthly rent has skyrocketed 27 percent since 2000; however, the typical renter’s monthly income plunged 7 percent during the same period, partly due to the Great Recession.
These days, a typical household must earn about $80,000 a year to afford the $2,000 average monthly rent sought by landlords, and still be able to buy groceries, pay for utilities, and other expenses.
This means even preschool teachers, medical assistants, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, and many others with full-time jobs cannot afford to live in Los Angeles County. The most vulnerable – those with mental or physical disabilities and drug or alcohol addiction, and who lack family support – are the hardest hit.
The problem is particularly acute in Los Angeles County’s 2nd District, which accounts for about one-third of the County’s homeless population, according to the 2015 Homeless Count.
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http://ridley-thomas.lacounty....mands-our-attention/
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