LA Reports Doubling Of Homeless Children In Past Year On Skid Row
Shelter officials say the numbers are even higher than during the Great Recession and they blame the increasing costs of living in Southern California. Also in the news: a look at the campaign in San Francisco to raise a tax on business to raise funds for services for the homeless, and the number of homeless veterans declines.
LAist:
The Number Of Children Living On Skid Row Has Doubled Since Last Year
Specifically in downtown L.A.'s Skid Row, the number of homeless kids has doubled since last year. There are more than 300 children there, according to the most recent count from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA). The number of "family units" experiencing homelessness in the neighborhood also rose dramatically, up 111 percent from 2017. (Duran, 10/31)
The Wall Street Journal:
San Francisco Businesses Are Split On Tax Boost To Fight Homelessness
Christin Evans and Gwen Kaplan both run small businesses in neighborhoods they say have become overrun with homeless encampments. Like most San Francisco residents, they agree the problem has grown to an unprecedented scale, with homeless people taking drugs, using the streets as toilets and showing signs of mental breakdown. ... But Ms. Kaplan and Ms. Evans hold opposing views on Proposition C, a ballot measure Nov. 6 that would impose a tax increase on large corporations to raise money to assist the homeless. Recent polling showed San Franciscans evenly divided on the proposal. (Carlton, 11/1)
The Wall Street Journal:
More U.S. Veterans Are Off The Streets
The number of homeless veterans declined in 2018 in response to long-established federal efforts and a push by dozens of local communities, according to the departments of Housing and Urban Development and Veterans Affairs. Nationwide, the number of homeless veterans fell to approximately 38,000, according to an overall count of the homeless taken in January. That represented a 5.3% decline since last year and about half the 73,367 veterans tallied in 2009. Dozens of towns, cities and states have declared an end to vet homelessness in their communities. (Kesling, 11/1)