By Charles Springer Homeless in Santa Monica
I have read the report on the amount of homeless within the county of Los Angeles. I was not surprised at all. As a matter of fact, I would put the estimate at closer to 100,000. The reason being the nomadic lifestyle of some of the homeless I know.
When I wrote my first “From The Street” column for this newspaper, I had told you who read it this would happen. The problem of homelessness is a very complex one. The factors that put one on the street are many, from drug and alcohol abuse, mental illness, family abuse, rising rents and the lack of wages significant enough to keep one housed.
I think the beginnings of getting the problem solved are more shelters and transitional housing programs but with the following type of format: ■ Separate the mentally ill from the parolees and the regular or newly homeless. This would facilitate a more streamlined system in that each would receive the individualized care needed for transition to housing. It would also keep the shelter system from falling into the “prison mentality” from those career criminals who are paroled to these facilities and make it so. ■ Spend more on case management than on the upper echelons. These people are the “front line” in this fight to help the homeless population get off the streets. There should be more of them who are trained to keep the case loads individualized. They shouldn’t just treat the homeless population as a lump sum. ■ The private sector, property owners and management companies should look at making a larger percentage of housing available to the low-income renters. A letter to the editor from the man with the section 8 vouchers should have been the “red light” to this major road block in solving the homeless problem.
The man was begging for someone to take his voucher. Would he go through the program only to be put back on the street? ■ Jobs with a sustainable income. I would like to see how many of us could live and afford a place on minimum wage.
I have been homeless in this area for more than nine years. I am considered “chronic homeless” and yet when I was writing my column for this newspaper I put my e-mail address and asked for work as a freelance artist and writer. I received a lot of mail, and not offering jobs.
This count should be a real wake-up call to us all. This is the culmination of how man’s greed has eroded this nation. And how we, as human beings, have treated our fellows.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 27, 2005. Read the original PDF.