Invisible People | by Mark Horvath | April 12, 2022
Last week, the Los Angeles City Council voted to lift the moratorium on towing illegally parked RVs. Enforcement is set to start on May 15th, but as we saw yesterday, the criminalization of homelessness continues even before the moratorium is lifted.
The ban on towing cars and vehicles that people live in came to be because of the pandemic. Housed people were concerned that unhoused people may take up ICU beds if COVID spread through the homeless community. But now that the coronavirus restrictions are being lifted, there is a growing push to get homeless people out of sight.
Homeless sweeps are cruel. They do nothing to solve homelessness and in many ways, make it harder to help people. The displacement and fear cause trauma. When a vehicle someone lives in is towed, they are then street homeless, making vulnerable people even more vulnerable. None of these people are offered housing or basic services. The criminalization of homelessness is a waste of taxpayer money. Money could be used to help people instead of just moving homeless people around the city.
How You Can Help
If you live in Los Angeles, visit and support Services Not Sweeps [https://servicesnotsweeps.com], an LA-based coalition made up of over 35 community organizations demanding a care-centric approach to homelessness and the end of criminalization.
The pandemic proved that we need to rethink housing in the U.S. It also showed that many programs designed to address homelessness are rooted in law enforcement rather than social services.
Contact your officials and representatives here https://invisiblepeople.tv/getinvolved. Tell them you support revamping the way your city addresses homelessness. Handcuffs do not get anyone closer to stable housing. Instead, we need to focus on compassionate solutions, which is the first step to ending homelessness once and for all.
More mobile homeless stories: When LIVING IN A CAR is Your Last Choice – “Mobile” a Short Film https://youtu.be/dMBVtPx2B_M Venice Beach Homeless Man Lives in an RV with His Daughter. Both Have Jobs but Can’t Afford Rent https://youtu.be/dB1lyFMUpIM Homeless Woman Bought RV with Pandemic Money https://youtu.be/2Oz8M2SXwZ8#homeless#losangeles#mobilehomeless
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About Invisible People
There is a direct correlation between what the general public perceives about homelessness and how it affects policy change. Most people blame homelessness on the person experiencing it instead of the increasing shortage of affordable housing, lack of employment, childhood trauma, lack of a living wage, or the countless reasons that put a person at risk. This lack of understanding creates a dangerous cycle of misperception that leads to the inability to effectively address the root causes of homelessness. We imagine a world where everyone has a place to call home. Each day, we work to fight homelessness by giving it a face while educating individuals about the systemic issues that contribute to its existence. Through storytelling, education, news, and activism, we are changing the narrative on homelessness. This isn’t just talk. Each year, our groundbreaking educational content reaches more than a billion people across the globe. Our real and unfiltered stories of homelessness shatter stereotypes, demand attention and deliver a call-to-action that is being answered by governments, major brands, nonprofit organizations, and everyday citizens just like you. However, there is more work to be done on the road ahead. Homelessness is undoubtedly one of our biggest societal issues today and will only continue to grow if we don’t take action now. Invisible People is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to educating the public about homelessness through innovative storytelling, news, and advocacy. Since our launch in 2008, Invisible People has become a pioneer and trusted resource for inspiring action and raising awareness in support of advocacy, policy change and thoughtful dialogue around poverty in North America and the United Kingdom.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow_LEAyNWLY