One day, in the 1990s, a sheriff’s deputy knocked on the door of LaRae Cantley’s home in South Los Angeles. The deputy explained that she and her husband had five minutes to leave the property.
Cantley was surprised, as she did not know that her husband had skimped on rent. Even though LaRae Cantley grew up surrounded by poverty and addiction, she never expected to be homeless.
She sent her three children to live with their grandparents, and Cantley and her husband went their separate ways. Where was Cantley supposed to go? Where was a place she could call home? At the age of 37, Cantley, unfortunately, had to call the streets her home. She lived on the streets for about 15 years, along with thousands of other Californians.
The homeless population in California is exponentially increasing, with the rates nearly doubling in certain counties. Homelessness is a prominent and perpetual issue in California, and the power to change the status quo lies in the hands of the governor and legislators.
Before examining what the next steps to combat this severe issue are, it is important to first have a clear understanding of the status quo. According to the Los Angeles Times, “California is home to one-quarter of the nation’s homeless population, a grim distinction painfully visible not only on city sidewalks, but also along the state’s freeways and farm levees, in its urban parks and suburban strip malls.”
More specifically, according to a federal report in 2020 by The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the homeless population in California was 161,548 people as of January 2020, which is a 7% increase from 2019. These substantial jumps in the homeless population are not new in California. Since 2007, the state’s homeless population has grown 16.2%.
With surging numbers, the question remains: Why has California not made any significant change. Well, the answer is not simple.
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Gavin Newson shut California down in order to stop the spread of the coronavirus. This put the homeless population in an extremely awful and difficult position. How does one socially distance themselves if they are living in congested tents on the side of the road? How does one wash their hands without a bathroom, or disinfect their hands without access to sanitizer?
California recognized these challenges that the homeless were facing, and announced Project Roomkey in April. Funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency was used to provide hotel and motel rooms for those homeless. On October 23, 2020, Governor Newsom tweeted on Twitter that, “1 out of every 5 homeless individuals in CA have been served by Project Roomkey. An unprecedented 22,300 people in 6 months.”
A few months later, Newsom announced that California would be, “building on the success of Project Roomkey.” The governor planned on doing this by, “providing federal stimulus funding and state funding for jurisdictions to purchase some Project Roomkey properties and turn them into permanent housing – Project Homekey.” Newsom approved $62 million to expand Project Roomkey.
However, Project Roomkey was not supported by all. Eve Garrow, the homelessness policy analyst with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Southern California, explained, “The response has actually been quite inadequate, just by a numbers perspective. It left so many people living unsheltered on the streets or in dangerous shelters that increased the risk of infection.”
Aside from the project not benefiting the entire homeless population, the County of Los Angeles has stated, “Project Roomkey is a temporary program to provide life-saving, temporary housing for the most vulnerable people who are experiencing homelessness.” In other words, Project Roomkey is a makeshift attempt to fight against the increase in homelessness exacerbated by the pandemic.
In May of 2021, California announced more permanent attempts to eradicate homelessness in the state: the California Comeback Plan. “Within a year, Homekey did more to address the homelessness and affordable housing crisis than anything that’s been done in decades and became a national model. Now is the time to double down on these successful efforts,” said Governor Newsom.
“The California Comeback Plan invests a historic $12 billion to expand these successful programs and seeks to end family homelessness within five years. That’s the idea behind the Comeback Plan’s homelessness investments – more, faster and with accountability and efficiency stitched into the fabric of these new investments.”
However, very few have hope for this new plan to fulfill all of its promises. California has been battling the homelessness crisis for years. In the past, California has spent $13 billion from federal, state, county, and city money to solve homelessness in California, but homelessness rates are continuing to significantly increase. How will this bill be any different?
We must strive toward catching people before they fall. Grants to avoid evictions, along with other forms of assistance, can be offered to people who are at risk of becoming homeless, should only just be the beginning. Cities like Chicago have established successful homeless prevention call centers that have benefited their communities immensely.
Decreasing homelessness rates will require time, focus, and effort. Our legislators and representatives must be willing to work hard to make progress on this prominent issue.
