For the wealthiest state in the nation, California’s social and economic inequality is glaringly stark. More than half of America’s unhoused population lives there, and it’s the only state where more than 70% of that population is unsheltered—that is, living outside the shelter system in tents, informal communities, and camps—The Guardian reported. And nowhere in the state is the disparity so affronting as in Los Angeles, among the ten wealthiest cities in the world and also home to the largest unsheltered population of any U.S. city.
But it isn’t as inexplicable as it outwardly appears, nor is it as intractable as many would believe, houselessness advocates say. By now, the main driver of this public health and human rights crisis there should be apparent: While too many are quick to dismiss houseless neighbors (“homeless” is often considered a slur) as mentally ill or suffering from substance use issues—which is the reality for many living on LA’s streets—the crisis is decades in the making due largely, advocates say, to a lack of affordable housing.
Read more at Next City.