On November 1, Councilmember Blumenfield was in Winnetka with LA Family Housing, LAPD and his team to go meet folks who are living in their RVs and offer service to try and get them off the streets. The most affordable and efficient way to address homelessness is to ensure that people don’t lose their shelter in the first place and the individuals he visited are just one step away from living on the sidewalk. He spoke with them about rent subsidies that LAFH offers and other opportunities for stable housing and job assistance.
Many people he met with have pets and were concerned that if they accepted services they would have to surrender their animals. This is an issue that LAFH faces often and they have pet-friendly housing options as well as offer free, donated pet food. One person who was both a senior citizen and a veteran said his retirement money is about $800 per month which is less than it would cost to park in an RV park. Blumenfield said, ”While we do not want our streets to become even more like a campground, we cannot turn our backs on people who have no viable options.”