As I begin to put words to paper of my discussion with Mike, a homeless man living on the streets of WeHo, it becomes apparent that I cannot convey to readers the clairvoyance of his speech and expressions. Or how his words echoed inside me that our homeless programs are failing.
He approached my golf cart outside the laundromat near Edinburgh and Santa Monica. “Did you win the election? “ he asked — No but came in right behind the big money I answered. He went on, “can ya help me out?” And I asked whats your name?
My name is Mike. And your homeless? “Yep, I been here in West Hollywood since 1989. Where do you live? I’m staying here in Weho at an abandoned building. ”
And does the city reach out to you? “I been to City Hall about 5 times this year, they call somebody and then somebody arrives, and they take down my number and name and then they never call me back.”
So you got a phone I asked? “Yeah, – I sure do.”
I wont print your number but can you tell me so can reach you. “Yeah sure, its 213-xxx-xxxx.”
So you on drugs or anything? “Sorry, Nope, nope.”
But you do want help? “I sure do.”
The city offers alot of help for homeless have you been able to avail yourself of anything ?
“No, they said in the pipeline a lot of money was stolen and I guess the judge is trying to figure where that money went to. Its just a big scam, its just a money maker. I think they actually make more money by keeping the homeless on the streets. Cause fire department, police, courts, they all get paid when the homeless are in the streets.”
“If all the homeless were in housing there be less contact with police, fire, courts, and all that other stuff, those municipalities that help the city and state thrive. So yeah, I don’t think they really want to get the homeless off the street… Its just showing they stole all that money. Were kind of left out here to fend for ourselves.”
Are you able to eat? “Yeah, luckily I’m on SSI.”
Your able to get by? “Yeah, I don’t have no drug problem or anything?”
And you want housing? “Yep, I sure do.”
And you reached out to city hall multiple times? “Yep, yep multiple times.”
“Yeah, last six years I was truck driving , no homelessness and then somebody hit my truck, and they knocked me out of the truck driving with the insurance, – I got screwed and now I’m homeless again.”
And you can’t get anywhere with the city ? “Nope. Nope. I can honestly tell you that what they do is they send these people out –they get your name and your number and they never- never call you back. That is the truth of it. Yes it is.”
That’s the truth of it? “Yes, it is very the truth of it. Very the truth of it. Were out here like pawns. They are using us, actually using the homeless against residents and business owners. Business owners they want to progress in business. Residents they want to live a nice life. But what California is doing they are leaving the homeless out here and they are battling the homeless against businesses and residents. You know, the residents and the business owners need to get on the same page and fight for us. Whats happening now is everybody is pointing the finger at each other and we are getting no where that way.”
I’d like to point out that the residents voted for the homeless tax and they did fight for you guys and voted for many of those funds and the taxes to support services that your not getting.
“Yeah, whats weird about that- I know about that too, I read up on that the residents and business owners had a chance to vote to house the homeless in hotels and they all voted against it, and their thing was they didn’t want the homeless destroying hotels, which I totally understand, – but now since their not in hotels they are crapping on the streets, doing drugs on the streets in front of children… where they would have been in hotels between four walls.”
At this point I stopped the voice tape. My head was clogged. This guy was ready to get off the streets but cannot make headway in our city that brags about its services. Mike’s story is probably not unique.
A copy of the voice text including his number has been forwarded to the city manager with a request for follow up. Our city is spending ten million dollars a year on staff, outreach and more for the homeless services. Mike illustrates the failure of city hall or all of our cooperative or collaborative partners.
Larry you have seen me fight to get beds in shelters for unhoused folks. I no longer even as for staffs assistance. And there is 1 single reason that we dumped path and went with ascencia. Me. And everyone was mad that I dared to rock the boat. Just search for the articles in this paper. And not a single staff member has ever said thank you for pointing out the deplorable conditions at path. The shelter that was given hundreds of thousands by the city year after year. By the way I know who this is about. I’ve known… Read more »
Why should working people give a dime to those who choose to live as parasites on our streets.
You’re vile.
I concur ❗ 💝
Here in California ! The democrats steal money that’s meant to go to the homeless,but at the same time,the republicans won’t make housing a right,which enables the dems to keep taxing the taxpayers and pocketing money without any accountability..! I guarantee you,this big homeless scam won’t end until,housing is a right,if you guys don’t agree,your just enabling the homeless industrial complex,point blank..!
There’s no right to housing. Somehow for thousands of years…….humans figured it out. But these people can’t?
People are making bad life decisions.
Trump is the only man,that can stop the wasteful spending that the democrats are doing in every city in America..! Trump’s so called new plan requires individuals in federal housing programs to comply with substance abuse treatment or mental health services as a condition for receiving housing,and job training..If he doesn’t do this,he’s enabling the democrats wasteful spending,therefore republicans can’t complain about the the homeless problem in America,or anybody else’s for that matter..!
Excellent!
People have been saying for decades that you need to build more housing to help the homeless (and it works to reduce the issue in places where they build housing).
The people here in particular, which is not an indicator of anybody or anywhere else, keep bitching about the causes, instead of looking at the years of data. National and international, not just WeHo or LA.
Most homeless people won’t live in whatever home they are provided. They prefer the streets.
You don’t need to be elected Larry to make a difference. Keep going.
NGOs are nothing more than money-laundering schemes. There is a big incentive to NOT solve problems like homelessness because then the gravy train would end. They are frauds.
Why does Mike insist on staying in West Hollywood when there are other areas of LA where he could at least have a roof over his head and food?
Mike sure has this City’s number! Helping the homeless is a total scam to line the pockets of “service providers”, homeless consultants, real estate investors and contractors making profit off providing “resources”. Our City is a closed membership country club for those to milk our programs of cash while deflecting attention away from non-action. It’s pathetic and a complete Boss Hogg systematic scheme.
Outreach doesn’t work. Society used to police this sort of thing……but the ACLU-types advocated for their “right” to live this way.
It must be illegal to live on the streets. Zero tolerance.
The conversation cannot be about “affordable housing”….. as West LA “is” and “should” be expensive as long as it’s desirable. The solution is right in front of our faces…..but of course they’ll always need more taxpayer money and we’ll be in a worse situation in a few years.
Yep, before they allowed people to do whatever they wanted on the streets, we didn’t have this problem. When they started making “homelessness” an acceptable, alternative “lifestyle” the problem grew exponentially.