Homeless in Los Angeles During Covid-19
The homeless population in Los Angeles County is in a crisis that’s never been dealt with before. The county is still unsure how the coronavirus pandemic, which took hold in March, was already trying to figure out how to handle a 12.7% increase from the year before.
In January, 66,433 people were living on the streets and did not have a place to go to where they could call home.
The coronavirus pandemic, which took hold in March, is affecting these numbers at a rate that is unprecedented. The years-long affordable housing crisis and the outbreak of COVID-19 has caused two major crises to collide. Vacant homes are now being occupied by homeless people and families seeking shelter. It is still unclear how the numbers cited above will change these numbers according to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) -which released their current findings this past Friday.
On Friday, LAHSA said that 6,010 homeless people have been placed in emergency housing since the COVID-19 lockdown took effect in March. Project Roomkey, a foundation that seeks to secure hotel and motel rooms in L.A. County, states they have housed 4,056 of those looking for shelter. Another 1,708 were placed in shelters through the Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation Department with 246 of them being placed in trailers.
Homeowners, landlords, and renters are in a very difficult position during this pandemic. Local, state, and federal governments are offering assistance, but nothing that has a long term solution to solve this problem.
"Our concern was that COVID-19 was the perfect storm of existing housing instability, very high rates of unemployment, not enough replacement income for unemployed workers and what we see to be the absolute failure of our political institutions to provide meaningful tenant protections," said Ananya Roy, a professor of urban planning, social welfare and geography at UCLA and founding director of its Luskin Institute on Inequality and Democracy.
Our mission at Animal Aid Dude’s Ranch is to help those in need during these difficult times to have a place to go, provide support, assist with supplies, and help with their pet companions who are offering unconditional love. Please contact us today or make a donation so we can continue to provide support for those who looking to get back on their feet again,