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An influential editorialist from the Los Angeles Times reported on his attack on Mayor Eric Garcetti for the growing homelessness crisis in the city and its garbage-covered streets.
Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times columnist and author of The Soloist, said city officials spent $ 600 million last year to combat the proliferation of homeless encampments in the city. city. Homelessness increases by 16% to about 60,000 people, according to the last count.
Homelessness has jumped 12% over the last year in all of Los Angeles County.
"Los Angeles looks like it's coming out of a hurricane, with hordes on the streets, tents everywhere, and rodent armies on the move, sparking fear of the disease." Wrote Lopez in his column online Saturday night, in the middle of reports. from a massive infestation of rats at the Los Angeles City Hall.
UNFORGETTABLE CAMPINGS AFFECTING TRAFFIC TRAFFIC IN CALIFORNIA
Lopez complained that his e-mail mailbox was overloaded after asking Angelenos to send him evidence of the homelessness and garbage crisis in the city.
"Last week, I naively invited readers to email me photos of piles of garbage and encampments in their neighborhoods. My inbox is about to explode, "he wrote. "I have pictures of half-dressed people who have lost consciousness on the sidewalk, sidewalks blocked by tents, bulky objects, piles of poop and enough trash to fill the Grand Canyon."
While Lopez admits that other West Coast cities are also struggling to fight homelessness, he calls Los Angeles "ground zero" thanks to stagnant wages in the city and rising housing costs.
"Garcetti means good, I think, and is at least more present than Herb Wesson, the sleeping city council chair, but it's like watching a kitten try to do the job of a lion," she said. he writes. "We have more homeless people than residents in Palm Springs. Some of them are literally dying, and I've heard of dozens of citizen-photographers documenting the fall of the Angeleno empire. "
The county's Homeless Services Authority reported helping 21,631 people settle into permanent housing in 2018 – a rate that would have helped to quickly end homelessness if economic pressures had not simultaneously pushed home thousands of people to leave their homes.
The Los Angeles County figures perfectly reflect the situation in California, as state officials struggle to address the lack of affordable housing. In addition, officials said, the wages of low-income people have not kept up with the rising cost of living.
Last week, state legislators called for legislation limiting rent increases for some tenants and encouraging more affordable housing.
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"We see people who are working, who have jobs and who are homeless, they can not afford rent, they can not afford to live in the communities in which they have grown up all their lives." said Buffy Wicks, member of the Assembly, a Democrat from Oakland, where a county-wide survey revealed this year a 43% increase in the homeless population during the in recent years.
Lopez offers a solution to the problem of homelessness – at least for those lucky enough to have a car or a camping vehicle.
"With its political will and community support, Santa Barbara – in the face of the homelessness crisis – has managed to create more than 20 parking lots for overnight parking for people who live in their vehicles," he said. he writes.
Lopez added, "A similar program in Los Angeles has been stuck in first gear for years. In a city with 50 times more residents than Santa Barbara, we have seven or eight overnight parking spaces, although dozens of underutilized schools and urban properties are available. "
Associated Press contributed to this report.
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