There is a higher number of #homeless people on the streets of Los Angeles than ever before, and it keeps swelling everyday thanks to the state of the economy. No one can reasonably deny the fact that this is a real problem. We need a solution now... and we can't afford to invest in a program that is big on promises but falls short when it comes to actually doing the work of building.
There are currently an estimated 150,000 homeless people in California, which is the highest number reported in the USA. Anyone taking a quick trip to downtown LA will witness countless encampments under freeway overpasses, and if they happen to be traveling via public transportation, they will likely come across homeless people who are basically treating buses and trains as portable shelters.
Massive surges in unemployment have made it harder than ever for residents of LA to find housing when a majority of them were already paying rents comprising half of their earnings. Former director of homeless services authority Heidi Marston said of LA residents, “these are folks who are one missed paycheck, one family tragedy, healthcare crisis, car accident — whatever it is — away from losing their housing.” The shelters are overwhelmed, and places where homeless can find food (such as soup kitchens) are overburdened.
LA wants to build more homeless shelters, which sounds great. But what a lot of people don't seem to understand about this program is that the unreasonable cost of building new shelters is not caused entirely by the high price of land, but by the “soft costs” associated with the project. Los Angeles City Controller Ron Galperin found that 35-40% of the budget is being spent on costs such as permits, financing, and consultant fees. This places an undue financial burden upon the city because the money is not being used to build shelters, which was supposed to be the goal.
For those of us who spend our days working to make ends meet, there are a few realities with which we are quite familiar. If you have ten hungry mouths to feed at home, and you have to borrow money from a friend to buy dinner, buying a lavish dinner for two at a swanky restaurant made by a Michelin Star chef would be the very definition of a frivolous purchase. Anyone who has gone hungry can tell you that cheap, generic food is infinitely better than no food at all. In much the same way, investing in a bunch of consultants instead of the actual building of these shelters is irresponsible and unacceptable.
People who are faced with the misfortune of homelessness need a safe place to stay, it doesn’t have to contain the most elegant architecture or be designed to prioritize aesthetics over functionality. The most important priority is to have a ceiling over their head and walls to protect them from the elements. What they need most is a HOME. The current plan is not helping, as it is ridiculously behind schedule.
Even though the construction industry has taken a hit from current economic problems much like any other industry, the technology related to construction techniques has vastly improved with time. With options available including modular construction that allows for parallel construction of multiple units at the same time, why does a 10,000 unit housing project keep getting delayed? Prices are not going to lower, either for materials or for land. The longer it is delayed, the greater the burden on taxpayers will become.
When the cost for building these homes has already swollen to equal that of luxury condos, it is quite perplexing to imagine how much more the costs will soar by the time the project is completed. It is impossible to stay oblivious to the increasing number of people on the streets every day and more so of them dying owing to harsh weather, pandemic and criminal activity.
Build faster, build cheaper, and cut out the fluff. Give these people a home.
