ART 3170 Civic Engagement: Social Issues "Action" Project: Adrianna Flores- Homelessness

HOMELESSNESS

My name is Adrianna Flores and I am a resident of the city of Maywood. I have currently been living in the city for over 20 years now and feel as though as a concerned citizen there are many needs in our community that need to be addressed. First there has been a rise of homeless and transient individuals within the community, many tents and non permanent shelters have been seen at many shopping centers and vacant lots within the city.

I feel as though this issue is due to the fact that there are many vacant lots and underutilized buildings in the community. Also there is a lack of any type of entertainment venues within the city for children, teens, and families. This lack of entertainment revenue could be beneficial in providing more income for the community. As a member of the city council I feel as though you are someone in a position to listen, advocate, and help solve some of these issues.

These two issues are affecting children and families in the community because first and foremost having people living in tents and sleeping bags in many locations is a safety issue. Majority of families living in the city walk or travel by public transportation such as buses and having homeless people laying, sleeping or making their home in these areas can be frightening and scary for families, they are unsure if they may possibly be attacked, robbed, or solicited for money.

Based on research conducted by (Garvin et. al, 2013) Vacant land was thought to affect community well-being by overshadowing positive aspects of the community, contributing to fractures between neighbors, attracting crime, and making residents fearful. Vacant land was described as impacting physical health through injury, the buildup of trash, and attraction of rodents, as well as mental health through anxiety and stigma. So knowing how this can impact and affect families with the community we can see how this aligns with fear and now there are many open lots and unused buildings that have become homes or meeting areas for people and the more time that these vacant areas are left the more opportunity for people to vandalize, take over, and use them for living locations.

Here are some testimonies from members of the community:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6iQBuIiCoo

Alice Apodaca (87)

It's scary to see so many tents and sleeping bags in the parking lots because you are scared to park near them because you don't know if they will try to rob you, or they may even be high on drugs. I think there can be more resources offered to them that could allow them to get back on their feet but they are unaware of them so it is hard to get them certain services they need. I think the city can help them by getting them into facilities that could help them. -Krystal Lopez (38)

I have been living in Maywood my whole life and I have noticed more and more that there are homeless people everywhere, they are sleeping at the bus stops, in parking lots and any open areas, I go the the local donut shop like every other day and there is always a man sleeping on the floor right next to door. He never bothers anyone from what I can see and doesn't ask for money or food, but sometimes I feel bad and buy him a donut or coffee and leave it for him since he's always asleep or wrapped up. I don't know if he even knows I am the one who leaves it for him, but I just feel bad for him."- Joseph Apodaca (32)

There are many opinions about the topic and one dad and daughter had these thoughts about the topic:

"I feel sad because their living conditions are not good, without adequate food and shelter than their mental health and stability is being challenged, it becomes a circular issue when it comes to mental health and drug use and mental, emotional, and physical instability." - Stephen Sencion (42)

"I feel bad for them because it shows how a lot of times rich people have a lot of money but they don't really care about people who are lesser than them, and it's sad because people don't treat them good and they don't care about them. It reminds me of Bowsers Castle game because in the game there's time when they take everybody's coins no matter if someone has like 100 and the other people only have 10 or zero and then they split them up equally among everyone, so that no matter what everyone has an equal amount of money. I think that this should happen and then it will help the poor people to get a place to live."-Shannon S. (10)

Challenges that homeless people face:

- Food and shelter insecurity

- Unsanitary living conditions

- Exposure to severe weather

- No income

Many times these individuals are suffering from many different mental health problems.

About 70% of the homeless in California live outside a shelter compared to 5% in New York. In addition, about 25% of the homeless adults studied in Los Angeles County suffer from a severe mental illness, suggesting a strong correlation between homelessness and mental illness.

There has also been a rise in the amount of elderly people experiencing Homelessness and well as increase amount of parents and families.

Parents and families can experience Homelessness as well due to loss of jobs, financial instability, rising costs of living, and health issues. Although families may be scared to seek support there are many great resources and programs that can help aid individuals and families in need.

Ways to help and useful resources: