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The stories that circulate about homelessness too often have one thing in common: They don’t come from the people who have experienced it. That’s exactly why Everyone In: Stories from the Frontline at Wanderlust in Hollywood was so powerful. We got to hear from community members and advocates who have experienced homelessness, and who know firsthand the urgency of securing meaningful solutions.

We were lucky to be joined by Emma Kenney and Ethan Cutkosky, stars of Showtime’s “Shameless,” who delivered opening remarks. Emma spoke poignantly about why we can’t become complacent with the current crisis. “I am here tonight because the homelessness crisis we see across L.A. does not reflect who we are as human beings,” she said. “I don’t accept it, and I don’t think you do either.” 

Community advocate Jaden Alexander shared that he was forced into homelessness at 17 by parents who were intolerant of his gender expression. He reminded us that homelessness disproportionately targets LGBTQ+ youth, and that roughly 40 percent of young people experiencing homelessness identify as LGBTQ+. After being connected to supportive services, Jaden secured housing in 2012. “I was able to see my own apartment right before Christmas,” he recalled. “I was able to dance again…in my own place.”

Rudy Salinas from the Center of Blessed Sacrament in Hollywood recognized the outreach workers he partners with as heroes. “To me, these names sound like Sara Vaughn…Charlie Parker…and John Coltrane.” He also applauded the audience: “You are the folks we’ve often dreamt of. You are the silent majority we need.”

Riley Gude recounted losing his ID while homeless, not being able to get a new one, and being denied state assistance and supportive services as a result. It’s an example of the  arbitrary barriers that keep cycles of homelessness going. Riley overcame many obstacles—from mental health struggles to state bureaucracy—to secure a safe and stable home. “I’m gonna say it again because I just love the way it sounds,” he announced. “I have my own apartment.”

Maria de Jesus Gomez has worked as an advocate in L.A. for 20 years, and helps connect people to supportive housing through Housing Works. With two decades of experience under her belt, she informed the audience that the crisis needs our immediate attention. She knows that “housing is a service. Housing is the first response.”

Marquesha Babers’s brilliant and devastating poem, “Home,” reflects on her experience of being housing insecure as a child. In the poem, she turned our attention to how difficult it is having nowhere to celebrate the holidays as a kid, remembering that she wanted to “pull out a box of decorations that’s been in our family for generations.” 

“I want a garden,” she continued. “I want to plant seeds and grow things besides stereotypes.”

Caleb Crowder, an organizer with Everyone In, conveyed his experience of being severely rent-burdened, with financial hardship leading to homelessness. “I fell into that bracket of over 600,000 Angelenos that are spending more than 90 percent of their income on rent,” he recounted. 

He also noted that housing injustice too often disproportionately impacts LGBTQ+ communities and communities of color. Caleb urged the audience to build power in and through community: “We must stand up and fight back.” 

“It will be difficult work,” he said, “but what gives me hope is looking out at all of you. Look at this beautiful diverse group of people who showed up today. This is powerful.”

Kyshawna Johnson dealt with structural barriers that no one should have to face. While experiencing homelessness as a college student, Kyshawna had to use Starbucks WiFi to do her homework. After being connected to supportive services through Jovenes, Kyshawna recalls: “I was able to improve my grades to all As and this past fall, I was able to graduate from community college.” This year, she’ll be enrolling at a four-year university on a full-ride scholarship, housing included.

Kerry Morrison emphasized how important it is to activate community members. “Your voice can matter,” Kerry asserted. “It doesn’t happen quickly. But I guarantee you…you will be of help to this movement to push for change.”

Finally, Elise Buik, President and CEO of United Way of Greater L.A., thanked the speakers for stories that highlight the urgency of ending homelessness in every community. That’s why “we must create supportive housing across this city, and not just in one district.”

Thank you to all our speakers, special guests Emma Rose Kenney and Ethan Cutkosky, The Corporation for Supportive Housing’s Speak Up program, The Center at Blessed Sacrament, Hollywood Community Housing, Housing Works, Jovenes, and all the community members who came out in support. 

A very special thank you to the John and Marilyn Wells Family Foundation and Target, whose support made this evening possible.

These events remind us that housing is transformative. It changes individual lives and it changes communities. That’s why we need to keep showing up, every day, until we get everyone in. 

What a night.

Everyone In: Stories from the Frontline in Pasadena was one of our most powerful. The event was about the solutions needed to end homelessness, but it was also about a community coming together to support, embrace, and provide a receptive space to hear the stories of our neighbors who have lived through it. 

Shawn Morrisey, Director of Advocacy at Union Station Homeless Services, opened up the evening by talking about how abuse and addiction at an early age led him to homelessness. After years living on the street, he found support and care at Union Station, where he now leads efforts to help connect others in need to homes and supportive services. 

Shawn has felt how the misconceptions about people living on the streets can lead to fear and hate.

“I like to say we mistake the people experiencing the problem for the problem itself,” he observed.

Dorothy Edwards, a CSH Speak Up! advocate, spoke about her journey from nearly losing her life due to homelessness and addiction to now being a leader and administrator who helps secure more supportive housing for the thousands experiencing homelessness in the San Gabriel Valley. 

Above all else, she believes in the power of treating people living outside with humanity and dignity. 

She suggested, “I think the best thing we can do is ask what’s your name? It’s so simple.” 

Keith Crenshaw is a talented musician, and a dedicated advocate for supportive housing in Los Angeles.

He is someone who has experienced homelessness on and off for years. His story—losing his job, his home, and his mother—is heartbreaking.

But more importantly, Keith’s story is a reminder that while homelessness can happen to anyone, homelessness does not define anyone. Check out our Instagram to hear Keith’s incredible music.

Like Keith, Hector Curiel is someone who was the victim of terrible luck and timing. Hector lost his job, then got diagnosed with Diabetes while living in his car. He struggled, but ultimately formed a foundation for stability through the help of case management and supportive housing. Today, he is thriving. 

Cynthia Nixon left us speechless when she spoke about self-worth and belonging in a community, irrespective of whether you have housing.

“For many years I bought the lie that I was a disposable person, but we’re not those people,” Cynthia recalled. “We’ve walked through fire, and we’re filled with gratitude to be here. We’re exactly who you want as neighbors.”

Today, Cynthia is a student, a lifelong Pasadena resident, a mother, and an advocate who is making change.

Jill Shook, co-founder of Making Housing and Community Happen, spoke about the power of showing up and putting pressure on our elected officials to say “yes” to the solutions we know work: supportive and affordable housing. 

Shook directly addressed the audience in her remarks: “We can end homelessness in Pasadena. Let’s prove that we can do it. And let’s prove to other cities that we can end homelessness.”

“The stability of a home ends homelessness,” announced Elise Buik, President and CEO of United Way of Greater Los Angeles.

Buik spoke about the urgent need for supportive and affordable housing. L.A. County currently has a deficit of over 500,000 low-income housing units, and we simply cannot expect to help our most vulnerable thrive until we can ensure everyone in need has access to the stability of a home. 

Finally, Teresa Eilers, our Everyone In organizer in the San Gabriel Valley, gave us all an assignment: to take action. Get involved with our campaign. Attend a training. Volunteer with our amazing partners. Help us be part of the solution to end this homelessness and housing crisis across L.A. County, not just Pasadena. 

Thank you to all our speakers, to Union Station Homeless Services and CSH, the John and Marilyn Wells Family Foundation, and all the community members who came out in support. 

These events are how we make lasting change, and we couldn’t have done it without you.

You’ve probably heard by now that homelessness in L.A. County went up 12 percent in 2019. There’s no doubt the news is frustrating.

Despite this news, we are undeterred and we are committed to bringing everyone in. You and the 83,000 others who are part of our movement will make sure that we do.

Last Friday, we hopped on a call with over 1,000 members of the Everyone In community to dig deeper into the results, answer questions, and discuss the action plan going forward.

Listen to a recording of the call below and follow along with the presentation on our Homeless Count page.

 
We talked about the driving force behind the homelessness crisis, the solutions that are helping, and the actions we can take to get more housing built faster. Here’s the first one: Call L.A. County State Assembly members and ask them to approve AB 1197 to help create more affordable housing across California.

Ben Allen’s office: (916) 651-4026
Henry Stern’s office: (916) 651-4027

For those who can’t listen to the recording above, here are some highlights from the community call:

Everyone In’s Chris Ko spoke about what caused the rise in homelessness in the last year. The answer is simple: Our housing crisis is causing homelessness faster than we have been able to fix it.

Up and down the state, we’ve seen double digit increases due to a lack of affordable housing, stagnant wages, and opposition to affordable housing construction.

Last year, outreach and case workers helped 21,631 people move from homelessness into permanent housing, more than ever before. That’s close to 40 percent of our 2018 homeless population. If no one had lost their home last year, our existing homeless population would have been cut in half.

That’s an extraordinary achievement. As L.A. County Supervisor Mark Ridley Thomas said on the call, “The answer is to double down. No retreat, only moving forward. This crisis is dynamic. The data is clear. We can and should do more.”

After talking through more of the results, we discussed the most important question. What now?

Now we fight harder. Because we can’t let our leaders off the hook and we can’t let our neighbors lose hope. Buried in the bad news there is proof, once again, that homes end homelessness.

This is a statewide crisis, though, that requires an urgent statewide response.

Call your state senators today and tell them you support AB 1197.

This month, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors joined outreach workers, service providers, and community members to approve the Measure H budget for the next fiscal year.

Passed with the overwhelming support of voters in 2017, Measure H created a quarter-of-a-cent sales tax to fund homeless services, like street outreach workers, short-term housing, and the services that are provided with supportive housing. The press conference last week was both a report on the progress we have made thus far, and a review of the spending plan for the next year.

Supervisor Hilda Solis discussed some of the powerful examples of expanded housing and services that Measure H has helped pay for. Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Sheila Kuehl also spoke about the impact of preventative programs that keep people in safe and stable homes, such as tenant protections and rapid-rehousing.

Another indicator of progress: In the last year, outreach teams contacted a record number of people experiencing homelessness and more people than ever were placed into permanent housing.

Together with the City of L.A.’s Prop. HHH, which funds the construction of supportive and affordable housing, Measure H represents the first major investment we have ever made in the fight to end homelessness through a dedicated local revenue source.

As Supervisor Janice Hahn said, “We are going to address this unprecedented problem with unprecedented resources.”

L.A. is building a countywide system to make sure that our resources are distributed where they are needed most. But funding, alone, is not enough to bring everyone in.

We also need everyone to stand up and say “YES” to solutions in their own communities, across L.A. County.

As Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas concluded, “Combatting homelessness does not just require resolve, it requires investment and action.”

So many thanks to our standing-room-only crowd who came out to Everyone In: Stories from the Frontline in North Hollywood. These events give people a chance to share their powerful stories so we can all better understand the pressures that tens of thousands across L.A. County are facing—and what we can do to help.

For those of you who weren’t able to make it, here are some highlights, starting with Zondre Johnson.

She told us, “I was tired of being afraid. I was tired of being ashamed. And I was definitely tired of people telling me I was a failure.” After training to be a CSH Speak Up advocate and lobbying Senators on Capitol Hill, Zondre said she doesn’t feel like a failure anymore.

Jamie Hawks has overcome so much—addiction, incarceration, and her own son’s struggles with mental illness and homelessness. Today she works in stabilization, helping the most vulnerable thrive.

“Every day you’re given a blank page,” she tells her clients. “Let’s make it epic. Because no one’s story should end in homelessness.”

We heard from a number of advocates who help L.A. County residents secure affordable housing and the services they need to survive. Carl Holmes experienced homelessness after serving in the Army. Now he helps others locate housing and personally found homes for 80 people last year.

Like Carl, Freddy Cupen-Ames is a housing navigator. He told us about how he’s determined to make a difference in his community: “If it’s not gonna be me, then who?” The more people ask that question, the sooner we will end homelessness.

I’m very proud of the fact that Everyone In has organizers working in every corner of L.A. County to build alliances and fight for solutions. Caleb Crowder from our organizing team did a great job speaking about why we do this work: “I’m here today to remind you of who we’re fighting for. It’s us. Because we’re a community and an attack on one of us is an attack on all of us.” Well said.

You may recognize Emily Martinuik from the launch of our campaign a year ago. Her story is so powerful, because it exposes the myth that homelessness is something that happens to “certain” people. Emily had a good job, a family, a big house with a pool, and a savings account. When her youngest son was killed in an accident and the 2008 financial crisis struck, she did the best she could, but it wasn’t enough.

“You may be thinking this will never happen to me,” she said. “That’s what I thought, but it happened to me and it happens to thousands of people every day.” The question Emily asks is this: “If homelessness happened to you, what would you want it to look like?”

Our housing and homelessness crisis is raging in every community, which is why we need solutions in every community.

Thanks again to our powerful speakers for delivering this message, to our partners LA Family Housing, the Corporation for Supportive Housing’s Speak Up Program, St. Barnabas Senior Services and the Los Angeles Aging Advocacy Coalition, the San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valley Homeless Coalition and, above all, to the John and Marilyn Wells Family Foundation for creating Stories from the Frontline in the first place.

When Pastor Lisa Williams first came to San Pedro Methodist Church, she saw a need that wasn’t being met. Hundreds of her neighbors were living outside, and someone had to step up to help bring them the support they needed.

So she got started by spearheading a supportive housing development next door to her church.

“I realized that once you learn somebody’s name, they no longer become a statistic,” she says. “You are compelled to help them. That’s why I’m doing this, and will keep doing this.”

“Today, that plot of land means everything to Pastor Lisa and her congregants, and to her friends living in her community without a home.

It means hope.

Watch the video to learn more about Pastor Lisa and the organizing team, then sign up for a training.

You too can speak out, until we bring everyone in.

Everyone In organizer Enrique Velasquez knows getting his neighbors in the San Fernando Valley to speak out is crucial to ending homelessness. “Each person can become an advocate in their neighborhood, at their church, school, at their city block, and with friends,” he says. “We need anybody with a good heart in this fight.”

Like many people in Los Angeles, Enrique has had to worry about losing his home—and he has known people who have lost theirs. “Housing is a human right,” he says. And when people are denied their right to a home, it affects all of us.

Watch the video to learn more about Enrique and the organizing team, then sign up for a training.

We all need to speak out until we bring everyone in.

One year ago, Los Angeles’ 15 City councilmembers made a pledge to each approve at least 222 units of supportive housing in their districts by July 2020. The progress in some parts of the city has been outstanding—all in, we now have 4,120 units of Prop. HHH-funded supportive housing in the pipeline.

Many communities have gone above and beyond the call. And other districts are well on their way to meeting their commitments soon. But as Emily Alpert Reyes reports on the front page of the Los Angeles Times, the progress we are seeing has been geographically and socioeconomically uneven, reflecting the historical imbalances of subsidized housing development.

Five districts account for over 70 percent of the approved supportive housing units for people experiencing homelessness. While there is still time for lagging districts to meet their pledge to approve 222 units, this won’t happen without community engagement and strong leadership by elected officials.

We are calling on all Angelenos, but particularly those in districts where the drive toward 222 is slow, to become advocates. People are experiencing homelessness in the West San Fernando Valley. In Palms and Century City. And even in Bel-Air. These are our neighbors, friends, and relatives. These are members of our local communities. Not building housing in the hopes that they might move somewhere else is not only shortsighted, but wrong. When we passed Measure H and Proposition HHH, we made a promise to people experiencing homelessness that we would build more housing, everywhere. We must keep this promise all over Los Angeles.

Use our tracker to scope where supportive housing is being approved and tweet your support to the elected leaders who are making good on their promises.

On March 9, we came together at Union Station for Gather Everyone In 2019. Nearly 600 advocates stood shoulder-to-shoulder inside the historic walls to get inspired and renew our commitment to ending homelessness.

We will speak out, as long as it takes, until we bring everyone in.

The day’s events kicked off in the morning with volunteers showing up across L.A. County to get trained and give back.

More than 50 people showed up to LA Family Housing in North Hollywood.

Here we are assembling home and bath kits at St. Joseph Center in Venice…

…and PATH Headquarters in Central L.A.

A big thank you to the volunteers who came to HOPICS in South L.A.

And finally people from all over L.A. County came together to hear from leaders in the fight to end homelessness.

Like SSG HOPICS Outreach Manager Toni White…

And United Way of Greater L.A. CEO and President Elise Buik, who said: “We know that housing saves lives. We know that everyone deserves a home. And that’s what this campaign is about.”

Everyone In Deputy Director of Organizing Gabriela Garcia reminded us that the progress we’re making isn’t a matter of statistics for the individuals who have been able to secure housing—homelessness can feel overwhelming, but ending it happens one person at a time.

Big thanks to KCRW DJ Raul Campos for providing the soundtrack and getting everyone dancing.

There were activities and installations for families to explore how homelessness and solutions like supportive housing impact their communities.

We handed out a ton of gear for members of the Home Team and other advocates to spread the word…

It was just an incredible day of community action and engagement. L.A. City Council President Herb Wesson called the crowd an “army of hope,” and we couldn’t agree more.

We have many challenges in the struggle to end homelessness. Perhaps the most critical is to make sure L.A. doesn’t lose hope. Because it’s going to take more than a year or two to achieve our shared goals.

It’s critical that everyone understands that while this work won’t happen overnight, we are headed in the right direction. We are making change. It needs to happen faster, and it can—if we continue to build our collective effort and resolve.

And that is why we will keep speaking out, keep showing up, keep organizing day after day until we achieve the only outcome that makes any moral sense: A home for everyone who needs one.

That’s our promise. That’s what it means when we say Everyone In.

Thank you to our committed advocates, organizers, staff members, volunteers, partners, and speakers—Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, L.A. City Council President Herb Wesson, United Way of Greater L.A. President & CEO Elise Buik, SSG HOPICS Outreach Case Manager Toni White, Everyone In’s Gabriela Garcia, City of Los Angeles Deputy Mayor of City Homelessness Initiatives Christina Miller, San Pedro Community Advocate Amber Ginsberg, Reverend Zach Hoover from L.A. Voice and Get Lit poets Hannah Harris, Marcus James and Marquesha Babers. We couldn’t do it without you. And special shout out to The California Endowment for opening up their parking lot to us for the night!

If you’re already a part of this movement, please tell a friend about us and invite them to get involved. If you haven’t yet signed up, register for a training here. We all need to speak out so we can bring everyone in.