\u201cThe homeless.\u201d Living in Los Angeles, California, you hear this term every day. This faceless, nameless group that so many would prefer stay out of sight, and out of mind. We quickly walk or drive by them\u00a0\u2014\u00a0clutching our belongings, avoiding eye contact and denying a shared existence.<\/p>\n
But who are the homeless, really? They are\u00a053,1951\u00a0<\/sup>unique human beings. They are fathers, mothers, sons and daughters. They are each one of us, merely divided by circumstance.<\/p>\n I have the great privilege of serving as the board president for the Downtown Women\u2019s Center<\/a>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0the only organization in Los Angeles focused exclusively on providing for and empowering women experiencing homelessness, as well formerly homeless women who are transitioning into new lives.<\/p>\n I visit the center on Skid Row each month, often catching an Uber from my office to get there. The 30-minute commute brings me to a 50+ block area in Downtown Los Angeles that feels like a war zone. Streets are filled with tents, trash and feces; hearts are filled with agony, fear and despair.<\/p>\n Without fail, the driver asks me why I\u2019m headed to such a dangerous part of town. And with that simple question, I\u2019m thankful for my opportunity to change one person\u2019s view\u00a0\u2014\u00a0to convert one Angeleno from bystander to agent for change.<\/p>\n I tell the driver that I\u2019m on my way to volunteer with the Downtown Women\u2019s Center\u00a0\u2014\u00a0a safe haven for women who need help overcoming homelessness and poverty. A place where they can rest, enjoy a home-cooked meal, access clean bathrooms, showers and laundry facilities, and secure a change of clothes. A place to restore their dignity.<\/p>\n I can\u2019t even begin to recount the number of times I have heard people say, \u201cThe homeless chose this life\u201d or, \u201cThey are all druggies and criminals\u201d and, \u201cIf they only had a college degree, this wouldn\u2019t happen.\u201d The truth is, homelessness doesn\u2019t discriminate.<\/p>\n Just last month, I heard the story of a woman who lost her job as a top-performing bank teller after her employer discovered she was living out of her car. Her apartment had become unaffordable due to a rent hike, so her car was her only form of shelter. After she was fired, she could no longer afford her car payment, and she soon found herself on Skid Row.<\/p>\n Los Angeles is in the midst of an affordable housing crisis. Growing up here, I\u2019ve seen this epidemic unfold right before my eyes. Many people are one paycheck away from losing their home. In fact, a 20172<\/sup> study showed that a five percent rent hike in Los Angeles County would send 2,000 residents into homelessness.<\/p>\n Domestic and sexual violence are also primary drivers of homelessness \u2014 in particular for the 16,410 women experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County. In many cases, the streets may be the only escape from an abuser. Research shows that on Skid Row, 40 percent of women are survivors of sexual assault, 55 percent are survivors of domestic abuse, 68 percent are survivors of child abuse, and 91 percent have experienced physical or sexual violence in their lifetime.3<\/sup><\/p>\n The realization that we can all be vulnerable to this situation is a wakeup call. So, how can you help? Here are three simple ways.<\/p>\n First, be heard\u00a0\u2014\u00a0be an advocate for change. Visit your local city website, like www.lacity.org<\/a>, for information on ways to contact your designated council members and neighborhood representatives to push for more affordable housing and permanent supportive housing in your community. Second, help bring an end to NIMBYism (\u201cNot In My Backyard\u201d mentality) by debunking stigmas and educating your friends and neighbors about the root causes of homelessness. Third, and perhaps most important, be kind. When you pass by someone who is experiencing homelessness, look them in the eye. Smile. Let them know they matter.<\/p>\n One action, one conversation, can have a ripple effect that makes a world of difference as we work together to ensure no one has to live on the streets.<\/p>\n Learn more about the Downtown Women\u2019s Center at www.downtownwomenscenter.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n References:<\/strong><\/a><\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThe homeless.\u201d Living in Los Angeles, California, you hear this term every day. This faceless, nameless group that so many would prefer stay out of sight, and out of mind. We quickly walk or drive by them\u00a0\u2014\u00a0clutching our belongings, avoiding eye contact and denying a shared existence. But who are the homeless, really? They are\u00a053,1951\u00a0unique […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":180,"featured_media":7153,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[3693,90,1927,185,3042],"yst_prominent_words":[441,365,3742,1350,1360,3746,3738,3743,3210,3212,478,361,3737,3741,3748,3740,539,3744,3739,3745],"class_list":["post-7139","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-aecomblueprint","tag-cities","tag-corporate-responsibility","tag-los-angeles","tag-united-states"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.archtam.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7139","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.archtam.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.archtam.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.archtam.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/180"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.archtam.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7139"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.archtam.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7139\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.archtam.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7153"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.archtam.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7139"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.archtam.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7139"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.archtam.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7139"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.archtam.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=7139"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n