Kids on Skid Row
South Park Studies: Homelessness
LEARN
There are more than 300 kids on Skid Row — more than double the number in 2017. Learn more about what’s behind the increase, where they live, and what they need in this article from LAist:
The Number Of Children Living On Skid Row Has Doubled Since Last Year
LAist, October 31, 2018The holidays are right around the corner and an increasing number of Southern California’s most vulnerable residents are without a home — children.
Specifically in Skid Row, LA Downtown News reports that the number of homeless kids has doubled since last year. There are more than 300 children there, according to the most recent count from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA). The number of “family units” experiencing homelessness in the neighborhood also rose dramatically, up 111 percent from 2017.
That surge has shelters like Skid Row’s Union Rescue Mission completely full and struggling to meet the needs.
“The other night we had 112 moms, 10 dads, 271 kids,” Andy Bales, the Mission’s CEO, told KPCC’s Take Two. “The most kids that we had during the Great Recession, when everybody was losing their homes, was 130.”
Read the full article here.
GET INVOLVED
Union Rescue Mission runs music, sports, and education programs for babies to teenagers — to learn about volunteering your time with these programs, helping in URM’s annual Christmas Store, and other volunteer opportunities, click here and visit the volunteer portal.
ABOUT
This blog started as a way to engage with South Park stakeholders about the issues you care about. South Park Studies is a new initiative designed to bring you news and resources on the topics we hear questions about the most — homelessness, daycare and school availability, transportation, and more. Each topic, starting with homelessness, will be approached in a multi week series of article recommendations, volunteer opportunities, and more. Learn more about South Park by visiting southpark.la.
