Photo: Photo by ROBYN BECK / AFP via Getty Images). / AFP / Getty Images
Given the problem of rents that increased in Los Angeles with the issue of the pandemic in 2020 , the government of that entity has found a temporary solution for the homeless, it is the installation of small prefabricated houses in certain areas of the city.
This as part of an initiative to help all those residents of Los Angeles who are having difficulty paying rent and have had to abandon their residences and go to live on the streets. In this sense, only New York surpasses Los Angeles as the city with the most homeless people living in unconditioned spaces with a real roof.
The project started in a suburb of the city called Tarzana, where it started with 76 houses that were paid for by the local government.
The houses you They have a space of 6 square meters, have air conditioning, heating, two beds and some shelves to organize. The toilets, showers and the kitchen are shared in what they call “the village”, or in that space where this type of temporary houses will be built.
Although it seems little, the difference is great when it comes to sleeping on the street or in tents in areas that offer little security and little sanitation.
The main advantage of these villages are guarded the 24 hours of the day, and the occupant can lock the door from the inside for privacy.
The initiative is not only to give the beneficiaries a temporary home but to help them get out of the problem in their current situation. With the program, the first thing they receive when registering is a shower and a plate of food. From there , the new resident will have advice and a plan to follow during the first three months.
During the stay, the beneficiaries will receive three meals a day, medical attention and therapy of the type they need . If after three months the resident has not achieved his goal of finding work and a home, the contract can be renewed if necessary.
Prefabricated units can be installed in as little as 90 minutes and cost 6, 500 dollars per house. This initiative, which began in the states of California, has been extended to other states with similar problems.
Last April a federal judge ordered the city and the county organize some type of permanent shelter, for the month of October, to the entire homeless population in Skid Row.
“Los Angeles has lost its parks, beaches, schools, sidewalks and highway systems due to inaction by city officials and the county that have left our citizens on the streets with no other place to turn, “Judge David O. Carter ruled at the time.
The federal judge also ordered that through the Department of Mental Health and the Department of Public Health support and the necessary treatments were offered to all the homeless in the state . The costs would be borne between the city and the county. In parallel to this, the mayor of Loa Angeles, Eric Garcetti, announced for this 2021 a budget of almost $ 1, 000 million dollars in expenses for the homeless of your entity.
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