LA voters overwhelmingly voted in Measure HHH to build housing for the homeless. But when Mayor Garcetti challenged City Councilmembers to build A Bridge Home shelters in all 15 districts, many local stakeholders balked, protesting against chosen sites. Many of these are the very neighborhoods where street encampments are the most prevalent and complaints are often loudest. In Koreatown, the Council Office's peremptory siting of a Bridge Home shelter resulted in major protests. Once the parties sat down together, they worked it out, but the pushback has continued in Venice and elsewhere. . Many opponents, and even some supporters, question whether A Bridge Home is a serious effort to combat homelessness as much as a PR initiative by the city.

Even if A Bridge Home succeeds, it will leave 90% of the city’s homeless on sidewalks. City officials have promised to clean up encampments as part of the program, but the 9th Circuit court recently ruled that cities can’t prohibit sleeping in public if enough shelter beds aren’t available. Officials explain that the first occupants will soon move on to permanent housing, making room for others in their place -- but housing providers say there’s no housing to move to.

If the program falls short of the promises, what lies in store for other programs? How will neighborhoods and public officials agree on sites for Not on My Sidewalk, Not in My Backyard – A Bridge Home supportive housing? How much longer will homeless people languish on our streets? Join WUF October 19 for a frank discussion by panelists straight from the front lines, who understand the complex needs, conundrums, and the life-and-death stakes of making A Bridge Home a success.

Panelists
Chan Yong Jeong
President
Wilshire Community Coalition

Shawn Landres
Chair, County of Los Angeles Quality and Productivity Commission;
City of Santa Monica Planning Commissioner & former Chair, Social Services Commission

John Maceri
Executive Director
The People Concern

Shayla Myers
Staff Attorney, Housing and Communities Workgroup
Legal Aid Foundation Los Angeles

Moderator
Carla Hall
Editorial Board Member
Los Angeles Times

Location
Helms Design Center @ the Helms Bakery campus
8745 Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA  90232
Google map and directions

Parking
Available in the adjacent, interior parking garage at 8711 Washington Blvd., Culver City (look for the red banners), or ample street parking, or via the Expo Light Rail line, one block to the east of Helms Bakery.

7:15am-9am

7:15am  Registration
7:30am  Breakfast
7:45am  Panel Discussion

$50  members
$65  nonmembers
$10  student members
$15  student nonmembers

Pre-registration closes on Wednesday, October 17, 2018.  After October 17, 2018 and at onsite registration the cost will be an additional $10.  No refunds or credits will be provided after this date.

All his life, Jesse Gomez wanted to be a lawyer, until one semester in law school cured that. Now he's into restaurants, not courtrooms. By the end of this year, he'll own six, which is not bad for a dropout. They all serve Mexican food, because that's his heritage. 

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