Los Angeles' Homeless Epidemic: When Cost of Living Doesn't Meet With Pay Rates
The struggle in paying rent in any major city is an old tune sung by many. But, a lot of Los Angelenos are bellowing a melancholic melody as the rise of rent and evictions are pushing people into homelessness. With over 60,000 people reported to be homeless, there are rising questions on what L.A. is doing to keep a roof over the community. The delicate balance of rent and household income has been thrown off. People are living on the streets and in their cars because they cannot afford a home in L.A. The accountability lies with the city council, Mayor Eric Garcetti mentioned in an NPR report that along with rocky financial stability, untreated mental health is contributing to the homeless epidemic.
Tents, shelters and belongings line a street near downtown Los Angeles. via Court House News
The fact is, being homeless does not always equate to mental challenges. Furthermore, there should not be any room for passing the blame when trying to find a solution for a city wide issue. There is about a $12 gap between what most L.A. natives are getting paid and how much they actually need to sustain a living; disproportionate funds can drive anyone insane. The solution elected city council created is a permanent cabinet, HOPE ,that will work with LAPD and other city departments to provide first responders and more outreach programs. There seems to be paperwork and red tape involved that a deprived individual has to go through just to start the process to get off the street. No one likes filling out paperwork and waiting results in normal situations, imagine filling out paperwork and then continue living out of a tent, waiting to hear back.
via City Watch LA
L.A. will have to start thinking outside of the box for a solution to this issue. The starting point is looking at the pay rate and cost of living. There lies the root cause of the madness. Los Angeles is a beautiful city to live in, but the price tag has gotten out of hand. With the program HOPE and other city funded programs, there seems to be some effort. At least the city is no longer turning a blind eye to what is really walking the streets, which are human beings searching for, hope.
cover image via KCET
