We were checking in today, to see what's happening with our blog as we continue to take a vacation from posting. From the very beginning of this COMMUNITY SERVICE BLOG we have reached out for volunteers. Homeless people are often struggling, taking things not one day at a time, but an hour at a time. Constantly having to move also makes it difficult to make a commitment to working with us on this blog. We know. We thought that our volunteers should be or once have been homeless themselves.
One way people have given of themselves is through commentaries. We get a lot that we don't post, but we do get valuable information about places and personalities in the nonprofits that say they will help the homeless. Sadly, as the cost of living becomes more and more impossible for people to bear in Los Angeles County, our focus on this blog, we see more and more people over 50 homeless. We see senior citizens who are living in RV's out of necessity, though some of these RV's are new.
Los Angeles made sleeping in vehicles in residential areas not legal earlier this year, and designated that parking has to be along "commercial zones." These commercial zones have line ups of RV's and other vehicles every day and night. Where are the other 50,000 hiding?
In a city that needs HALF A MILLION AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS YESTERDAY, you might wonder why there isn't a mass exodus out. Isn't that what homeowners, snobby renters, police, city councils, and other assorted politicians want?
We think they do.
But to where?
Moving homeless from place to place and city to city and state to state doesn't work. Sure, Southern California has better weather. Or does it? As we face heat waves and very unhealthful air, we do wonder.
