Homelessness

I’m not a hero of any sorts, but I am in fact a dreamer for sure. One of my fondest childhood memories was sketching out blueprints for folks with no food or water to live and eat. I had it set in my mind that I was going to fast forward through life and buy out my local 99 Cent store and help those in need.

I remember going through drive thru fast food lines with my parents and seeing people on sidewalks staring directly into the headlights of any car that would pay attention. Their eyes said it all. At that point in my life, I had never went to bed hungry, but I somehow knew what it felt like...

Once I graduated high school and attended college, I began to struggle financially and my frugal ways of saving money as someone who has worked since they were 16 were diminishing.

It wasn’t until the Summer before my Senior year had started that I faced hunger and dodged homelessness by the skin of my teeth due to personal and financial issues. I, firsthand, am not the first to point out the severity of this crisis.

Did you know that over half of all unsheltered homeless people are in continuum’s of care (COC’s) that encompass the nation’s 50 largest cities? And of that 50%, over a fifth of folks in COC’s are in rural population settings (The US Department of Housing and Urban Development).

Therefore, instead of continuing to drone on about all of the negativity, I would like to shed light on what is being done right now in my home state of California to prevent this crisis from continuing to escalate.

Granted, it is noted that rural areas aren’t equipped with the proper resources to serve the homeless population, there are cities in the state that can. For example, my neck of the woods is considered the Morongo Basin and we have a web-based community deemed as the Morongo Basin Safe Haven; in which folks can find resources to aid in their time of need. If you or someone you know is struggling with homelessness, lack of access to food and water, transportation, or even mental health issues, check out the website to see how you can help now!

Aside from those resources, The Los Angeles County Homeless Initiative aims to stop homelessness in its tracks by implementing a 10 year comprehensive plan powered by an incredible organization called Everyone In. Their goal is to “approve at least 1,000 supportive housing units a year which would equate to a total of 10,000 units in the next 10 years.”

You may be asking, "Okay, Kendra, but what about the folks struggling today?" I got your back with the information you need to keep you in the know; don’t trip.

The Los Angeles County Homeless Initiativestates that, “the creation of the Los Angeles County Homeless Initiative and its passage by voters of the landmark Measure H sales tax will in fact proactively prevent and combat homelessness in Los Angeles County."

So, as y’all can see, we have a long way to go in terms of demolishing homelessness, but it’s still great to know that there is work being done. With one day, one step at a time, and people advocating for this subset of the population, the end of homelessness is definitely in reach.