Thread: American Mother Acknowledges Increased Aid for Homeless

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la...043,full.story

County Increases Aid to the Homeless

With more than 90,000 living on the streets, L.A. supervisors allocate $24.6 million for shelters and services to fight the problem.

By Carla Rivera, Times Staff Writer

Following a recent count that found more than 90,000 people living on the streets, Los Angeles County political leaders have decided to step up efforts to put an end to homelessness.

Last week, the Board of Supervisors set aside $24.6 million to attack the stubborn problem, the largest single investment of local funds ever by the county or the city.

The allocation is a small piece of the county's $19.6-billion budget, but it represents a shift in thinking about an issue that has long failed to engage the attention of most elected officials.

Struck by the numbers, officials want to move services away from managing the problem and toward ending it.

Proposals include remaking the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, the 11-year-old city-county agency that administers homeless funds, to be more directly involved in policymaking and more accountable to county and city governments.

The agency has an annual budget of about $48 million. Most of that comes from the federal government, with the city and county of Los Angeles contributing about $8.4 million.

The county has also commissioned Shelter Partnership, a nonprofit research and resource group, to study the emergency shelter system and how it might be improved, using programs that have worked in other cities. One of the thorniest issues being studied is neighborhood resistance, which has hampered efforts to add facilities for the homeless.

Despite obstacles, officials who deal with the homeless say they believe that, with this allocation, the county may have turned a corner.

And the city of Los Angeles may soon follow suit. Mayor-elect Antonio Villaraigosa was appalled by the large street count, especially the 7,500 families found to be homeless, and is ready to create a partnership with the county that will be "unprecedented," said spokesman Joe Ramallo.

The census also found that more than 35,000 people have lived on the streets for more than a year. This population, considered chronically homeless, usually requires more resources.

"I viewed the county's allocation as a historic turning point," said Mitchell Netburn, executive director of the homeless services authority, who in the past has criticized local leaders for apathy and lack of commitment.

"When the city committed $4 million a few years ago to year-round shelter, that was a big step up, but this really took it to the next quantum level," Netburn said. "It's heartening to see the county really finally beginning to put together resources to address this huge tragedy we have."

County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky acknowledged that $24.6 million will not solve the problem but said it is a big step in reaffirming that the county â€â€

Kelley Shaffer, a resident at the Cottage for two months, is hoping she will land her back on her feet.

The mother of two is a former Vons employee who lost her job after the supermarket strike, beginning a steep downward spiral. With little savings and legal bills from a divorce, she was unable to keep up with rent on her La Cañada Flintridge apartment.

I'll just bet she is one of the Legal citizen Americans that refuses to do the jobs that illegal aliens (economic terrorists) will do. I'll just bet she is!!

What a bad joke. They're going to "end homelessness"? Well consider this. We already have a chronic homeless crisis and housing shortage EVERYWHERE in California. And yet the U.S. Census Buerea projects that 18 million NEW immigrants will come flooding into California over the next 20 years. Thats the equivalent of TWENTY CITIES THE SIZE OF SAN FRANCISCO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do any of our Open Border advocates --- many of whom are so-called "homeless advocates" -- have any idea where the ENDLESS MILLIONS OF NEW HOMES ARE WHERE THESE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO LIVE? Be sure to ask them. Whats wrong with this picture?

Lets find homes for the MILLIONS of American citizens who are ALREADY homeless before we let millions of foreigners make their homes here.

If I'm being redundant and repititious here, its because, in the 15 years I've been raising this question I've yet to get one single answer from these people. They pretend like they want "open debate" on the subject of "Mass Imigration", and yet they completely dismiss my eminently debatable points as to the consequences of Mass Immigration. Screw them. The time has come to no longer waste our breath "debating" 99% of our detractors, the phonies. The time has come to CRUSH them before they ruin whats left of our country with their abject STUPIDITY!!!!

If I'm being redundant and repititious here, its because, in the 15 years I've been raising this question I've yet to get one single answer from these people. They pretend like they want "open debate" on the subject of "Mass Imigration", and yet they completely dismiss my eminently debatable points as to the consequences of Mass Immigration. Screw them. The time has come to no longer waste our breath "debating" 99% of our detractors, the phonies. The time has come to CRUSH them before they ruin whats left of our country with their abject STUPIDITY

Ya Think?