OP-ED: Homelessness in Los Angeles
By: Jacobi Gunsalus
Tags: Homelessness, Los Angeles, Opinion

There are over 53,000 homeless people in Los Angeles County, and that number continues to grow every day. Furthermore, 71.7% of all homeless Angelenos are unsheltered, compared to 4.4% in NYC. There are many contributing factors, including a lack of affordable housing, low minimum wage compared to the cost of living, lack of rehabilitation and mental health facilities, and legal barriers. In lieu of the Supreme Court’s refusal to hear the 9th Circuit appeals case of City of Boise v. Martin (which limits the ability of government to regulate public encampments), LA needs to consider what this new development means for the fight against homelessness and what steps it needs to take. Without federal government intervention, the government at the local level will be unable to effectively address the homelessness issue, which will continue to grow out of control.

The ruling stated that homeless people have the right to sleep on sidewalks or in parks if the city doesn’t provide adequate shelter. The 9th Circuit ruled that prosecuting homeless people for this constitutes a violation of the 8th Amendment as it “imposes criminal sanctions against homeless individuals for sleeping outdoors on public property, when no alternative shelter is available,” and therefore constitutes a cruel and unusual punishment. However, this overgeneralized and unclear ruling leaves confusion as to what local LA officials are allowed to do to tackle the homelessness epidemic. The LA County Supervisor said that LA isn’t trying to criminalize the homeless; they are taking decisive action. LA Mayor Garcetti further emphasized that “Letting the current law stand handicaps cities and counties from acting nimbly to aid those perishing on the streets, exacerbating unsafe and unhealthy conditions that negatively affect our most vulnerable residents”. The Martin v. City of Boise ruling is based on good intentions, but is so general that it is hampering cities’ ability to protect and support its homeless residents.

There are no easy answers, but affordable housing is one important part of the solution. However, it is very easy for politics and personal interests to get in the way, and many residents will block the city’s attempts to build homeless shelters near them for personal reasons. In turn, politicians will be less likely to try building homeless centers in LA for fear of losing potential votes. Even if the city manages to build more homeless shelters, it will be difficult to take immediate action due to the overall ambiguity of the appellate court ruling. Another option would be to get the Martin v. City of Boise ruling overturned. The ruling prevents LA officials from dealing with homelessness in a direct way, which means that the problems will only continue to worsen. There needs to be a more comprehensive ruling that is more specific to LA’s homelessness problem, and also leaves some legislative freedom for our officials so that they can take action and help people get off the streets and back on their feet.

Sources

“About Us: DTLA Alliance for Human Rights.” About Us | DTLA Alliance for Human Rights, www.la-alliance.org/.

“LA CoC Shelter/Housing Inventory Count.” Go to Main LAHSA Website, www.lahsa.org/homeless-count/.

“Supreme Court Lets Stand Ruling That Protects Homeless People Who Sleep on Sidewalk.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2019, www.latimes.com/politics/story/2019-12-16/supreme-court-lets-stand-ruling-that-protects-homeless-who-sleep-on-sidewalk.