People experiencing homelessness is on the rise
Homeless numbers continue to rise. By law we are tasked to deal with the People Experiencing Homelessness in our community. The City and I are exploring many partnerships and resources to deal with this challenge. We will continue to address this issue while ensuring protection of your safety, your neighborhoods and your property values.
Strategy to fight those that are impoverished
My strategy starts with preventing people from becoming homeless. The first focus is on removing the shame and stigma associated with confronting homelessness so that people will seek help. Through early intervention and connecting people that are at risk with existing resources many times homelessness can be avoided. The City of Arcadia Recreation and Community Services Department is teaming up with LA CADA (Los Angeles Centers for Alcohol and Drug Addiction) and some faith-based outreaches to personally identify people in this category, to reach out with resources both counseling and financial.
For those who are already homeless the same teams meet and assess each individual’s situation to find the most appropriate services for them. This includes finding the means to get a place to sleep (often a LA CADA shelter or Faith-based facility), and counseling for mental health, for substance abuse, and physical abuse issues, if needed. We have a special unit that is assigned to acute cases within our boundaries.
Next steps to helping those in need
The next step is garnering necessary paperwork, specifically California ID cards, Social Security cards, in some cases driver’s licenses and other employment papers. This is followed by counseling
specific to getting a job. Then applicants are matched up with employers who have a heart for those who are struggling and have jobs that do not require specific advanced training. Successes need to be tracked and followed up so that applicants aren’t tempted to return to the streets.
My work with the homeless
I work with a faith-based outreach twice a week and over the last few months have seen many people taken off the street through the sincere efforts of LA CADA, Steven Boi Park Ministries and faith-based facilities and programs such as Set Free L.A.
The work is slow but progress is being made. Success breeds more success. Ignoring the problem will not make it go away. Our City is tasked, legally and morally, with taking care of all our people, regardless of social stature, or financial status.