SO MUCH CAMPAIGN PROPAGANDA in the mail, much of it with claims of what certain candidates will do to "combat" or "solve" homelessness.
The counts of how many people are homeless in Southern California vary. My guess is that you can take any figure any politician is depending on and TRIPLE it. People do not want their names on census and do not believe that there is any privacy in it.
BEWARE THE STORAGE SHEDS that are called "homes."
If there are 50,000 homeless in LA you can bet someone is going to set up 25,000 storage sheds (two homeless to a shed) and call the people who sleep in them HOUSED.
Storage sheds in "villages" may be better than a person not knowing where they are going to sleep at night, and offer more safety, especially for women who are preyed upon by (mostly) homeless men, but I do not consider a person "housed" because they are sleeping in one of these storage sheds.
IF YOU PUT A STORAGE SHED UP IN YOUR BACKYARD and run an electrical chord from your house into the shed and charge rent, that is completely illegal.
So is renting a garage that has not been converted lawfully. Lawfully means that it has utilities installed.
Even twenty years ago thousands were living in these illegal rentals, as well as - believe this - in ACTUAL STORAGE FACILITIES.
As I wait to find out if property developer Caruso or community activist Bass win the mayor election for Los Angeles city, a very close race, I and my friends are CONCERNED.
Twenty years ago I was aware that this was the case and the problem has only gotten worse. GREED by property developers and apartments is what has caused homelessness to become a permanent problem in Southern California.
GREED.
Take a look at the City's list of SLUM LORDS (repetitive violations) while you're at it. Some of those names will sound familiar.
