Stop Pulling the Wagon

photo – Los Angeles Times

FOR POLITICALLY “CONNECTED” CONTRACTORS – CALIFORNIA’S HOMELESS CRISIS IS A WINDFALL BONANAZA

Messenger News – 9-15-23

Los Angeles officials prioritized speed over cost while building a new city-sanction tent village for homeless people in East Hollywood, reportedly shelling out $44,000 for each individual tent — about the price of a new Tesla Model Y.

All told, it cost about $4 million to put up fencing, bathrooms, and staffing facilities for the village. Catering services and 24-7 staffing cost an additional $3 million per year, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Despite the high costs, the site is only temporary. It’s located on a parking lot that will eventually be turned into public housing. But because it will take years for construction to commence on that project, the city decided to fill the space with tents in the meantime.

Urban Alchemy, a San Francisco-based nonprofit, maintains the camp village, but not without controversy.

When the nonprofit launched with a small grant in 2018, it mostly hired former prisoners because they had the “ability to read people in unpredictable situations.” Lawsuits have since accused some of these employees of abusive behavior.

The nonprofit brought in $51 million in 2021 after expanding into Austin and Portland

Urban Alchemy says it’s offering a practical solution to build quick and affordable housing for California’s 172,000 homeless people, while also offering more intangible perks, like safety and autonomy.

The tents in the East Hollywood location are of higher quality than anything someone could buy from a typical camping store. They have raised wooden platforms, full beds, and storage lockers. The site has reportedly been close to capacity since opening in February 2022.

The nonprofit Coalition for Responsible Community Development, meanwhile, set up an office across the street to attract people who might be interested in reentering the workforce.

The nonprofit already oversees several camp villages across the state with varying styles. The residences at a tent city in Culver City are made from sturdy white canvas, while those in South Los Angeles are more humble, resembling store-bought camping gear.

Only about 2% of the guests have since moved on to permanent housing, a statistic Urban Alchemy blames on a lack of affordable housing in the city, according to the Times.

***************************

It is hard for me to add to the above.  These multi-million dollar homeless “solutions” are really only an endless “Cash Cow” for our politicians and their “well connected” supporters.

Do you want to speculate what these pristine white tents will look like after a couple of months of occupancy by drug and alcohol addicted vagrants? It has been my experience in life that, not in every case, but in general, people show the same care and discipline in caring for the place where the lay their heads at night as they do in managing their own day to day lives.  What do the areas these homeless vagrants have occupied so far look like?

Reminds me of the spoof I wrote some months back about Mayor Conrad Blowhard which follows:

A SPIN CITY NARRATIVE

Conrad Blowhard is the Mayor of Spin City, California.  His city has become infested with homeless encampments and vagrants numbering in the thousands.  To some this would seem a problem but Mayor Blowhard sees an opportunity.  

He will convince his City Council that in an effort to help the homeless and decrease their numbers on the cities streets and alleys he would like them to pass a funding bill in the amount of 80 Million Dollars with the proceeds dedicated to renovating a dilapidated, nearly abandoned hotel down on “Skid Row” and convert it’s 80 rooms into housing for the homeless.  The City Council passes the funding request and pats themselves on the back for “caring” about the homeless.

Closed bidding contracts are let out to major contractors who are supporters and donors to the Mayor for the work to be done.  A ceremonial event is held at the Foggy Bottom Hotel with the Mayor swinging a sledge hammer through a faded door of a shoddy 200 square foot room in front of live television cameras.  Everybody applauds.

Work begins.  Some effort is made to rid the building of most of the rats, termites and other vermin which infest it.  The leaking roof is patched.  Contractors workers “freshen up” the rooms with new paint, carpet, updated (cheap) fixtures from China and new window coverings.  Cost per room renovated is $400,000.  In addition, the hotel gets a new name:  “NEW BEGINNING’S” and a single fresh coat of exterior paint. 

Grand Opening Day arrives.  Brass Bands and Ribbon Cutting.  Mayor Blowhard and City Council members make grandiose speeches about how they have solved the cities Homeless Crisis.  A few ragged homeless people are seen entering the building to take occupancy of their renovated 200 square foot “apartments”.

The Mayor’s handpicked contractors, sub-contractors and suppliers go out and spend their profits on new boats, sports cars and luxury vacations but not forgetting to “tithe” back some of those profits to the Majors campaign re-election coffers.

The 80 “new” tenants of the once dilapidated hotel settle in and begin the task of de-renovation on the hotel to turn it back into a Skid Row Manor.  

The whole process is “spun” as a huge success and praise and credit is layered on all who participated in the project.  What could possibly go wrong.  Housing was provided, at least temporarily, for 80 homeless people for only 80 Million Dollars.  “WINK – WINK”.

P.S. I would like to give inspirational credit to Michael J. Fox and his long ago television series “Spin City”.

Bob Bandy – September 2023