Every night, an estimated 59,000 people sleep on the streets of Los Angeles ––a figure that’s skyrocketed by 35% in the last year alone. The problem is so bad that the mayor has declared a state of emergency, and in November, L.A. voters approved a $1.2 billion bond to build 10,000 apartment units over the next decade for the chronically homeless.
However, it takes two to five years to build this kind of permanent housing because of the city’s complex building code and zoning rules–and the city needs a fix right now. The City of Los Angeles has additional projects funded but not enough funding for this immediate issue, and the rents are skyrocketing as the homeless population soars.
We need affordable housing, less complexity from the building department and a bit of humanity. We all need to play a major role in being humane and address the homeless situation. We all need to be mindful. These are all fellow humans who cannot afford to live here and the community does not want this in there backyard. Most pets are treated better then human. Make an effort and come up with quicker solutions.
