Some of them dance to the rhythm of a song only heard through
the headphones of their imagination. Others huddle together on
benches and in doorways beneath dirty pieces of cloth, their
makeshift blankets.
These are the homeless of Los Angeles.
The UCLA students and staff of the Los Angeles Homeless Services
Coalition are attempting to help homeless people in Los Angeles
through efforts including fund raising, pushing for new legislation
and educating the community about homelessness.
Daniel Rotman, founder and executive director of the LAHSC, said
the extent of homelessness in Los Angeles is one of the
city’s most under-observed issues. A native of Los Angeles,
Rotman said even he wasn’t aware of how big the problem
really was, despite living here his entire life.
There is an estimated homeless population of over 90,000 in Los
Angeles, about 30 percent of which are women, according to the
LAHSC Web site. Veterans and the mentally ill also account for
significant portions of this population.
But the focus of the LAHSC is on homeless youth, of which there
are 12,000 to 15,000 between the ages of 12 and 17. The coalition
has two components: Democracy for Change, which focuses on amending
the state constitution to better serve homeless populations, and
the Los Angeles Youth Network, which is comprised of three youth
shelters in the city.
On the weekends, teams of canvassers (individuals who inform and
obtain donations from the public) go out into neighborhoods and
malls to support the shelters in the city.
Rotman said the coalition has gathered about $400,000 in
donations, and currently hopes to build a fourth shelter.
The indifference of many people and their unwillingness to
listen have been some of the most surprising things about
canvassing, said Olivia Jones, a third-year world arts and cultures
and Spanish student who has worked with the coalition since October
2005.
“The most common response that I get is, “˜Oh,
I’m fine. We’re fine.’ It’s a pretty
automatic response for people to say that, (but) what they’re
saying is “˜I don’t care that they’re not OK,
because I’m OK,'” Jones said.
Another canvasser, second-year political science student Rahim
Kurwa, said he noticed a difference in responses from people that
seem to have closely parallel economic status.
“People in the middle class to upper middle class are
easier to relate to. … (They) understand the problem, and
they’re much more willing to donate,” he said.
Funding for the shelters is one of the key problems LAHSC is
working to solve, Rotman said. The shelters serve not just as a
place to sleep for a night and receive a hot meal, but also as a
place for rehabilitation and extended care, he said.
This requires spending for teachers, food, clothing and therapy
which could last for years for a single individual. But once
program members reach the age of 18, they are no longer considered
“youth” by the state, and are therefore ineligible for
state grants given to the coalition for youth.
A common assertion of the student workers was that education of
the community was the key to improving the situation of homeless
people.
“As long as people are educated, I feel they will usually
take action on their own,” Kurwa said.
Mikouya Sargizian, a fourth-year women’s studies student
who has been with LAHSC since the beginning of winter quarter, said
not many students know how rampant the problem of homelessness is,
but if they volunteer they will gain knowledge.
“You get your own education working here,” she
said.
Lisette Molina, a second-year psychology student, said she
joined the coalition through concern for helping others rather than
herself.
“It’s not a job. It’s doing something about
what you care about,” she said.
Even though shelters provide essential services, the
rehabilitation process begins far before youth even reach the
shelters.
Lisa Mondiel, program director for the California Youth Crisis
Line, said the crisis line helps put youth in contact with
appropriate resources to help them, whether they are dealing with
eating disorders, child abuse or homelessness.
“There’s nothing wrong with asking for help;
there’s always going to be someone who’s going to help
you if that’s what you want,” she said.