Anthony Mancillas- How Homelessness, the Pandemic, and Systemic Racism Coincide in Los Angeles

 

 

How Homelessness, the Pandemic, and Systemic Racism Coincide in Los Angeles

By: Anthony Mancillas

    

    The homelessness epidemic in Los Angeles has always been a huge issue. However, the issue has gotten worse in 2020 since the rise of COVID-19, which caused an unprecedented pandemic. According to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, or LAHSA, in the year 2020, Los Angeles’s homeless count shows a 12.7% rise in homelessness. Despite the efforts of LAHSA doubling the amount of housing individuals, numbers are on the rise.

    According to the LAHSA’s 2020 Homeless Count Results, due to the economic fallout of the pandemic, and systemic racism which has led to 4x overrepresentation of Black people among those experiencing homelessness, they stated that the need for drastic system changes in housing supply, economy, health care, and justice systems are clear in order to resolve the issue that Los Angeles is facing. The Los Angeles Times mimics this fact by stating that less-affluent areas such as South Los Angeles, a historically Black neighborhood that’s now predominantly Latino is experiencing high rates of COVID-19 and does not have enough resources it needs to house homeless individuals.

    The homelessness issue matters to me because Los Angeles is my home. I was born here and grew up here. Since my parents were too busy working multiple jobs to put food on the table, they didn’t have any other choice but to leave me to walk to and from school since I was 8. I continued to walk and eventually drive the streets of my neighborhood and observe how homelessness has gotten worse.

    When my parents came to the United States, my dad would tell me how he would sleep in his van with his dad while picking up work on the side of the street from individuals who needed hard labor to be done. In addition, they also worked at an airport and would use the hose outside to shower discreetly. My dad did this until he saved up enough money to afford an apartment for all of us.

    Homelessness is an issue that personally affects me because it systemically does affect me. Looking at my parents’ history, because they came into this country illegally and because they were unable to obtain a job that paid living wages, they did have to suffer through homelessness. If it wasn’t for how hard they worked to hustle through the system, I wouldn’t be where I am today. They brought me into Los Angeles to have this city be my home. I would only want my home and community to thrive and to not suffer financial hardships because of systemic racism.

Sources

Scott, A. (2020, June 12). Homelessness In Los Angeles County Rises Sharply. Retrieved November 09, 2020, from https://www.npr.org/2020/06/12/875888864/homelessness-in-los-angeles-county-rises-sharply

2020 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count Results. (n.d.). Retrieved November 09, 2020, from https://www.lahsa.org/news?article=726-2020-greater-los-angeles-homeless-count-results

L.A. County is counting homeless people this week. Here's everything you need to know. (2020, January 21). Retrieved November 09, 2020, from https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-01-21/homeless-count-los-angeles-county-faq