Thousands of people are living on the streets in Los Angeles. Tents are spread out on sidewalks and people sleep in their cars or out in the open. They have no access to basic necessities such as toilets, making them and those around them more susceptible to disease. According to an annual report, 36,300people in LA are currently homeless and a court ruling allows them to live outside if no space is available in shelters.
What is Los Angeles doing to address homelessness?
Los Angeles passed a $1.2 billion bond measure in 2016 in the hopes of addressing the problem. The bond issue would provide up to approximately $150,000 per unit for permanent housing with the balance to come from other sources. It was hoped that 10,000 permanent housing units could be constructed with the money.
However, the crash program to construct new apartments has meant that instead of using lower-cost alternatives, permanent housing is being built at a median cost of $520,000 per unit. This means that it will fall far short of the goal of building 10,000 units and still leave thousands homeless.
