Tiny houses for Los Angeles homeless create backlash

[KamaAina]

http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Tiny-houses-for-Los-Angeles-homeless-create-6439382.php

A Los Angeles initiative to build tiny houses on wheels for the homeless has sparked an uproar in San Pedro, with neighbors claiming the structures are ugly and will soon attract crime.

The Daily Breeze in Torrance reports (http://bit.ly/1L4TPl4 ) that the doghouse-style structures rolled into San Pedro this month and critics quickly took action.

Los Angeles Councilmen Joe Buscaino and Mitch Englander have asked the city attorney to check the legality of the structures on public rights-of-way and to recommend the best way to remove them. The motion will be taken up by the Public Works and Gang Reduction Committee and the Homelessness and Poverty Committee.

On Tuesday, the council approved moving forward with the tiny house project, but agreed that they need to go to different locations.

Is this tiny or is this tiny?

[Ed Suspicious]

1. Go to different locations? Return of the Hooverville? (Although I'm not sure they ever left.)

[enlightenment]

2. Doesn't take much for the nimbies

to crawl out of their holes.

[Daemonaquila]

9. No kidding.

If you can put a car there, you should be able to park a little (movable) house there. It's not a problem, people.

[ruffburr]

3. Instead-

Of being a-holes, Why for christ's sake are the PTB not finding and funding some empty land where people can have their tiny houses and put an end to homelessness nationwide , Instead of Incarcerating and persecuting people,It would be a million times more cost effective, Supply some shower and toilet facilities and away goes homlessness by a large percentage. The cost of tiny homes would be paid for by the drop in police and court costs, I guess that it is not as profitable as pushing people through the justice system.

[roody]

4. +1

[LoisB]

7. Yes!

[Warpy]

5. They needed to get the land first

and even in a place as spread out as LA is, that's a tall order.

I also hate that they're long dog houses, although I know that anything with a locking door is the lap of luxury to anyone who's been living on the street and has been used to the sort of crime that happens to homeless people every day. The ultralight concrete sprayed onto a frame was a better idea, they could at least stand up in the middle of the dome. Plus, they're fireproof.

Still, there has to be somewhere for these folks, somewhere the city will put up a few porta potties and an outdoor shower. It takes very little to return a homeless person from despair to hope for a better life. This would be it.

[ruffburr]

8. They find land-

For all manner of use , Maybe the homeless should incorporate then they would find anything they need. By the way I'm not talking porta potties or outside showers , I'm saying take the funds which are saved in the justice system and use it to fund these homes and have social services available to help people transition to a better life, build some permanent shower rooms and actual toilets, No matter what helping instead of arresting people is the right thing to do. I'm adding a few thoughts to this , The idea that becoming homeless is somehow the homeless persons fault is False with a few bad circumstances 90% of "middle class" can find themselves homeless inside of three months, So unless your well to do it can happen to YOU. While yes some people are the authors of their plight through drug use or mental health issues, These people need to receive special care and should be housed in medical , psychiatric facilities.

[Lordquinton]

6. I'm sure there are some unused hotels they could renovate

Turn them into small condos for the homeless. There’s more than enough housing to go around, it's just malice that keeps them on the street.

[mackerel]

10. There's a lot of reasons for the persistence in a transient lifestyle. Drugs, alcohol

and behavioral health disorders. I deal with the homeless everyday. Tiny houses will not cure the problem, it actually just makes a lot of us feel better to think the homeless have a bit of a roof over their heads. San Joaquin County Behavioral Health has just started a mobile unit where the case workers go to the homeless shelters and camps and do some sort of treatment. By far one of the biggest reason for the growth in the homeless population is meth. That shit has taken over this fecking state.

[KamaAina]

11. Turns out it's easier to get people into treatment when they have a roof over their heads.

Who would have thought?

[mackerel]

12. It's my belief that Covered California/Medi-Cal has really

helped people seek treatment.