Everyone deserves a place to call home

Earlier this year, Angelenos received disappointing news: the 2019 Homeless Count revealed that homelessness increased 12% in Los Angeles County since last year.* In South Los Angeles alone, more than 9,600 residents are homeless. A severe lack of affordable housing in Los Angeles has resulted in 600,000 people spending 90% or more of their income on housing. Many of the families we serve at A Place Called Home are low income and find themselves making difficult choices every day: buy food or pay the rent?

Photo courtesy of Everyone In

A Place Called Home believes that every human being has a right to safe housing. As part of our commitment to supporting homelessness solutions, we have partnered with Everyone In, an advocacy organization that believes the root of the homelessness crisis is the housing crisis and is pushing for more affordable and supportive housing units in the county.

Here are some of the ways Everyone In advocates for solutions:

• Tracking the number of supportive housing units pledged and built in the City of Los Angeles and encouraging residents to hold their councilmembers accountable. Click here to see if your district is meeting the challenge.
• Hosting events, such as the Everyone In: Stories from the Frontline series, where community members and advocates who have experienced homelessness share their personal stories to help educate and inspire. View upcoming events here.
• Community organizing, training local neighbors to get involved in a grassroots campaign to create systemic change. Interested in getting involved? Click here.

Photo courtesy of Everyone In

The news from the 2019 Homeless Count wasn’t all bad. More than 21,000 people were moved into permanent housing last year – nearly 40% of the 2018 homeless count total and nearly double the total in 2015. The key to this victory was the availability of affordable and supportive housing units.

More affordable and supportive housing units are under construction and thousands more are approved, but we need even more. This is where people like you can help be a part of the solution and ensure your fellow Angelenos have safe, affordable housing. To learn more about how you can support, visit everyoneinla.org.

Everyone deserves a place to call home.

Photo courtesy of Everyone In

*All figures provided by Everyone In: L.A. County Homeless Count 2019