As Los Angeles gears up for the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics, we are faced with a critical decision. The experience of Paris serves as a cautionary tale, highlighting the consequences of prioritizing spectacle over the well-being of the unhoused community. However, it also presents an opportunity to take a different approach - one that turns these events into positive agents of change, rather than catalysts for displacement.
Read MoreNow is the time to unify in the spirit of determined, organized, peaceful yet radical resistance.
We will not back down on our rights nor our dignity. Instead, we will harness the stress (fear, anxiety, anger, malaise) into affecting positive change and lovingly, firmly, persistently setting and maintaining our boundaries. We will not succumb to fear.
Read MoreIn these challenging times, it's more important than ever for our community to come together. By donating our time, connecting with one another, and finding ways to be of service, we can cultivate hope and positivity that has immediate and long-lasting benefits for our individual and collective wellbeing.
Read MoreIn the heart of downtown Los Angeles’ Skid Row, a neighborhood that has long been synonymous with homelessness, the unhoused outnumber the housed, and poverty and despair seem to permeate every corner. But amidst this landscape of struggle, something remarkable is happening. A vibrant community response is emerging, one that is challenging conventional wisdom about how to address homelessness and offering new models for change.
Read MoreBut as the homelessness crisis has grown, so too has the realization that these scattered efforts, however heroic, are not enough. To truly make a dent in this issue, we need coordination.
Read MoreIn the struggle against homelessness in Los Angeles, the language we use and the stories we tell have a profound impact. The prevailing narrative often portrays the unhoused as helpless victims or societal burdens, focusing on their deficits and challenges rather than their inherent worth and capabilities. But a transformative shift is underway, led by advocates and community leaders who are challenging us to see the humanity, resilience, and potential in every person experiencing homelessness.
Read Moreaffordable housing. Two recent studies determined that the U.S. has a total shortfall of 3.8 million market-rate homes, a number that doesn’t even include the shortfall of affordable housing. This shortage represents not just a market failure, but a moral one. It is a crisis that disproportionately impacts the most vulnerable members of society, including the poor, the disabled, the elderly, and communities of color.
Read MoreAmidst the staggering homelessness crisis in Los Angeles, with over 70,000 individuals without a home, it's understandable to feel overwhelmed. However, a powerful force for change is emerging: the community itself. Across the city, neighborhood organizations are harnessing the strength of grassroots action, uniting housed and unhoused residents, businesses, faith groups, and nonprofits to confront homelessness head-on. These collective efforts demonstrate that when a community comes together, real transformation is possible.
Read MoreWhen I first sat down to create this space, I didn’t think things would move this fast or go this well. I have no complaints, but it derailed my best-made plan for writing regularly, so apologies. It’s been a minute.
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