We encounter the homeless constantly in our daily lives and still they remain almost nonexistent in our daily consciousness.
 
Maybe we will give the homeless man who hangs out in front of Taco Bell a buck or two so that we can feel benevolent, even though we secretly suspect he will buy whiskey with our hard-earned dollar. Other than the fact that we generously donated a dollar to charity, the event fades from our minds and we continue on unfazed by the estimated 84,000 people who spend their nights on the streets or in emergency shelters in Los Angeles County.
 
A report issued to Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca offered proposals to help ease what some experts have termed an emergency situation regarding the high population of homeless people in Los Angeles. The report “is the product of a September gathering of activists and civic leaders at which Los Angeles was called ‘ground zero’ for the problem of homelessness in the nation,” the Los Angeles Times reported.
 
Anyone who has ventured anywhere near the Los Angeles area can attest to the tragic situation of the homeless that we have so innocently allowed our lawmakers to sweep under the rug that is downtown Los Angeles.
 
The report suggested that zoning rules be legally changed so that communities can no longer exist as islands, removed from the plight of the homeless. Zoning rules currently allow “not in my back yard” sentiments that keep the homeless and mentally ill far from corrupting utopian communities by concentrating facilities in downtown Los Angeles.
 
New York currently has a right-to-shelter law that requires emergency housing to be found for homeless people. The report being considered by Baca includes a proposal for studying the implementation of such a law here in California.
 
The most controversial of the report’s suggestions asks that “some arts money — such as construction fees set aside for sculpture or other art — be shifted to homeless programs. Several area cities, including Los Angeles, require such set-asides,” the L.A. Times reported.
 
Of course, art patrons are not thrilled at the idea. They have made the valid point that if every social problem were solved tomorrow because art money was diverted to such a cause, no one would want to live in Los Angeles because there would be no parks or museums. It makes sense, but it does not negate the validity of assigning priority to human lives rather than material structures. Art is a necessary part of any healthy society, but how can we enjoy the beauty art has to offer when so many thousands cannot even enjoy a warm bed and a hot meal.
 
Baca seems to be a supporter of a lot of the report’s advocacy. Baca told the L.A. Times that, “He has become involved in the issue because the jails in his department runs are swamped with homeless people arrested on a variety of violations.” Baca added that, “It is also a matter of personal conviction.”
 
It is reassuring to see that someone who actually has the ability to help the homeless also has the willingness to initiate the necessary changes in our legal structure regarding people who call allies their homes and their toilets. But putting words down on a legal document is not enough. Laws such as the ones proposed in the report also require public support and a willingness to accept the problem and deal with it rather than our current method of pretending it doesn’t exist. The man standing at the freeway exit holding his “homeless please help” sign knows that you see him. Maybe it could do us all some good to look him in the face and at least acknowledge that he exists.

Calendar

Display Ads