Los Angeles Business Leaders Aim to Combat

Homelessness By Renee Fraser

As a co-chair of the Los Angeles area’s Business Leaders Task Force on Homelessness, communications professional Renee Fraser has devoted a significant amount of her time and talents toward working to better her community. Among other contributions, the principal of Fraser Communications has created public service announcements to draw attention to the issue of homelessness in the Greater Los Angeles area. Business leaders active in the task force are committed to making a permanent home a reality for everyone in the region, an increasingly challenging goal in tough economic times.

Introduction

According to the Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, conducted through the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), some 58,000 people in Los Angeles County were homeless in 2013. This figure represents an increase of 16 percent over numbers only two years before. The only region with a larger homeless population is New York City, where homelessness skyrocketed by 25 percent over the same period. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) reported figures only slightly lower than those gathered by LAHSA.

Homeless Statistics

The statistics do demonstrate some progress in that the numbers of military veterans and families experiencing homelessness went down, perhaps due to increased efficiency in providing resources. And HUD reported a national decrease as well. From 2010 to 2013, the number of homeless individuals across the country decreased by 6 percent.

Recent cutbacks in federal funding for services to homeless persons mean that local nonprofit organizations can expect an increased demand for their resources.

Conclusion