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Last night, we joined 100+ community members at a webinar to hear updates about the new “A Bridge Home” shelter on Riverside Drive.
We’re excited about the opening & support PATH's trauma-informed approach. We’re eager to connect unhoused friends & neighbors to this program. 1/ https://twitter.com/selahnhc/status/1280335125260075008
We’re excited about the opening & support PATH's trauma-informed approach. We’re eager to connect unhoused friends & neighbors to this program. 1/ https://twitter.com/selahnhc/status/1280335125260075008
We’d like to thank the office of @davideryu for hosting this discussion and providing their perspective.
In the spirit of collaboration, we'd also like to share our own perspective about the impact that this much needed resource will have on our community. 2/
In the spirit of collaboration, we'd also like to share our own perspective about the impact that this much needed resource will have on our community. 2/
For the sake of shelter guests and the surrounding neighborhood, it’s important to establish reasonable, transparent expectations about the timeline & turnover of available beds as well as the resulting effect on the number of encampments in the neighborhood. 3/
While @pathpartners rightly noted that the pace of an shelter guest’s transition to housing is informed by their trauma, it’s critical to remember that the shortage of affordable housing is the *number one* impediment to placement - a fact which @LAHomeless repeats every year. 4/
As we educate the public about the role trauma plays in houselessness, we need to take care not to suggest that the rate of placement is determined solely by the pace of recovery. Doing so places onus on the unhoused & risks perpetuating myths about service resistance. 5/
With only 100 beds to accommodate an area that stretches from Riverside Dr. to La Brea, many who want a bed will be on a waiting list through no fault of their own. The surrounding community needs to be informed that these neighbors are not *resisting* shelter beds. 6/
In that same spirit, the houseless Angelenos living in the surrounding area who wanted a bed but couldn’t secure one shouldn’t be punished for their misfortune. They should be treated with the same dignity, respect & civil protection as anyone fortunate enough to get inside. 7/
Establishing a Special Enforcement Zone around the Riverside shelter would, in effect, punish those individuals by increasing the frequency of unnecessary interactions with armed law enforcement, thus increasing the chances of a fatal encounter. This is something we dread. 8/
These zones present a high risk to our neighbors and a high cost to the public:
The mayor’s 2020/21 budget calls for $8.4 Mil in LAPD overtime to patrol these zones - more than the entire sworn OT for the LAFD and 4x the budget for the citywide Domestic Abuse Response Teams. 9/
The mayor’s 2020/21 budget calls for $8.4 Mil in LAPD overtime to patrol these zones - more than the entire sworn OT for the LAFD and 4x the budget for the citywide Domestic Abuse Response Teams. 9/
We’re relieved to hear that the final determination of how the budget will impact this project has yet to be determined. At a time when budgetary blows are causing essential services to be cut, we find it hard to justify preserving this level of excess spending on police.10/
While we recognize CD4’s assertion that the city doesn’t currently enforce tent restrictions due to CDC recommendations, no mention was made of CM Buscaino’s attempt to introduce a motion to resume CARE+ cleanups.
If the motion returns & passes, will enforcement resume? 11/
If the motion returns & passes, will enforcement resume? 11/
Fortunately, even if the motion passes, the establishment of an Enforcement Zone remains within @davideryu's discretion.
While these zones may be the standard, there is no *official* requirement for them to exist.
Per the Bureau of Sanitation Board Report dated 8/3/18: /12
While these zones may be the standard, there is no *official* requirement for them to exist.
Per the Bureau of Sanitation Board Report dated 8/3/18: /12
In the spirit of the ongoing movement against state violence & @davideryu’s vocal commitment to "reimagining public safety," doing away with the Special Enforcement Zone is a perfect opportunity to take meaningful action while also reducing a major public expense. /13
If unarmed private security can work for #ProjectRoomkey locations, it should be suitable for the areas around bridge shelters, supplemented with existing 911 services to address emergency issues that may come up. /14
In the meantime, SELAH will continue to engage our unhoused neighbors in the area.
We’ll remain an on-the-ground resource for addressing public concerns. We look forward to working with @davideryu's office, @pathpartners and our community to ensure this project’s success 15/END
We’ll remain an on-the-ground resource for addressing public concerns. We look forward to working with @davideryu's office, @pathpartners and our community to ensure this project’s success 15/END
