H4WRD Great Reads for November '24

November's Great Reads offers a range of articles and resources on current topics relevant to housing and homelessness in Greater Hollywood:

• ProPublica, 10/29: Swept Away: What Cities Really Take When They Sweep Homeless Encampments
  • As homelessness has surged to record levels in the U.S., cities are increasingly removing or “sweeping” tents or entire encampments of people living outdoors. Cities say they carry out these clearings humanely with the goal of getting people off the street. But they often result in people's belongings being thrown away. ProPublica found — through reviewing records from 16 cities, reporting in 11 cities and speaking with people across the country — that these actions create a cycle of hardship.
• LA Times, 11/2: At this Hollywood clubhouse, people with mental illness find purpose and belonging
  • A profile of Fountain House Hollywood, a community run by people with serious mental health conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder. The clubhouse model hasn’t taken off in California as much as it has in other parts of the U.S. The Hollywood clubhouse, one of the more important components of the evolving Hollywood 2.0 program, aims to change that and in the process give it's members a much-needed sense of purpose and belonging. (See below for a book written by one of the Hollywood Clubhouse members!)
• LA Times, 11/12: ‘Why us?’: Housing nonprofits are paying millions in ‘mansion tax’
  • Since the “mansion tax” took effect last April, a bevy of groups have aired their grievances. Developers claim the tax eats into their profit margins, stifling new housing projects. Commercial property owners say their sales of warehouses and retail spaces shouldn’t be subject to something that was billed as a “mansion tax.”  In the last year, a pair of nonprofits paid a combined $6.1 million in mansion tax fees. Their leaders say the tax has hampered their ability to accomplish one of Measure ULA’s primary goals: provide affordable housing.
• National Alliance to End Homelessness, 11/18: Race-ing to Thrive: Homeless Service Workforce Survey Reveals Low Salaries (and Other Challenges) More Greatly Impact People of Color
  • The Alliance’s most recent report indicates that workers of color experience greater financial hardships (a status that co-exists with their role types and education) and some differences in treatment. Despite these challenges, Black workers are particularly likely to express a desire to continue serving people experiencing homelessness. Reducing the hardships and supporting the advancement of these dedicated workers would likely help to improve employee retention in homeless services. Ultimately, such efforts would enhance the nation’s efforts to finally end the homelessness crisis, as clients experiencing homelessness benefit from the consistency and longer-term talent development of a stable workforce.
• LAist, 11/21: Following scathing audit, LA County supervisor proposes moving homeless services under direct county control
  • A new audit finds that a Los Angeles homeless services agency with an $875-million annual budget has routinely paid service providers late, failed to track whether contracts were followed and, in some cases, gave taxpayer funds meant for other purposes to providers who weren’t supposed to receive the money. The findings released Tuesday night by the L.A. County Auditor-Controller’s office highlight long-standing issues at the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) and raise new questions about how the agency is spending large pools of public money. L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, who requested the audit earlier this year, said she now plans to introduce a motion to create a new county department responsible for homelessness response.  
• City Watch, 11/21: A Concerning Rise in Rough Sleeping Threatens Recent Progress on Unsheltered Homelessness in Los Angeles
  • A skeptical look at the recent passage of Measure A, which the author claims does not address the underlying causes of the housing crisis, such as rising income inequality. Homelessness and overcrowding will continue to expand in LA County, even with the annual infusion of $1 billion into housing production and social services. Low income residents, the author writes, will pay a disproportionate amount of their income for this new tax. Alternatives, such as the restoration of public housing programs, which could be paid by progressive income taxes, were never considered.

Clubhouse Member's Memoir: Hard Pill to Swallow

From chaos and despair to a beacon of hope. That is the journey Hollywood Clubhouse member Mark Logan takes us on in his memoir, Hard Pill to Swallow: My Manic Memoir. Mark brings a unique, raw perspective from his personal experiences. He invites you into his world — one that navigates the challenge of his diagnosis, the stigma he faced in his recovery, the misunderstanding of his bipolar disorder condition and, finally, acceptance. Our community is fortunate to count Mark one of us, and we are grateful he had the courage, resilience and fortitude to document his inspiring journey.

CLICK HERE to download Mark's book today!

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