Los Angeles | In-Person

What Can Everyday Angelenos Do About Homelessness?

What Can Everyday Angelenos Do About Homelessness? | Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian

Photo by Mark Avery/Associated Press.

A Zócalo/UCLA Downtown Event
Moderated by Carla Hall, Editorial Board Member, Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles leaders have developed billion-dollar plans to boost services and build housing for the homeless. But such plans are now stuck in political quicksand, with neighborhood activists blocking shelters and new housing. Meanwhile, living in a city with a homelessness emergency is an everyday struggle, and there is no guidebook to dealing with sidewalk squalor or witnessing human suffering on your street. What’s the best way for Angelenos to engage with our homeless neighbors? What can we contribute to make a real difference in their lives? And who, if anyone, should we call when we perceive a threat, or see someone in crisis? UCLA sociologist Randall Kuhn, Social Venture Partners Los Angeles executive director Christine Margiotta, executive director of the California Policy Lab at UCLA Janey Rountree, and Chris Ko, Managing Director of Homelessness and Strategic Initiatives at United Way of Greater Los Angeles, visit Zócalo to discuss how everyday Angelenos can best respond to the challenges of homelessness.

LOCATION:
Downtown Independent
251 S. Main Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Parking information is available here.

The Takeaway

Auto Draft | Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian

Don’t Look Away. Homeless People Are Your Neighbors

By Engaging Their Communities—and Talking to People on the Streets—Angelenos Can Help People Find Housing

Establish a relationship with a homeless services provider in your area. Don’t be afraid to engage homeless people, and be sure to listen to them. If you give money or …