On Thursday, February 27, 2025, the EC Homelessness Working Group partnered with the Institute for Nonviolence in Los Angeles (INVLA) to host a facilitated dialogue exploring the gaps in public understanding of homelessness and the systemic barriers preventing effective solutions. Key themes emerged across the dialogue groups:

  1. Misconceptions About Homelessness
    1. Many people misunderstand the causes of homelessness, often assuming it’s due to personal failure rather than systemic issues like housing affordability, income inequality, inflation, and job instability.
    2. Mental health and behavioral issues are widely acknowledged as factors, but less recognized contributors, such as traumatic brain injuries (TBI), affect 53% of homeless individuals.
    3. The false belief that the homeless “want” to be in their situation further prevents public support for solutions.
  2. The Systemic Nature of Homelessness
    1. Homelessness is often framed as an individual issue, but it’s actually a societal responsibility requiring collective action from cities, states, and communities.
    2. There is a lack of long-term housing solutions, with policies in place that theoretically support housing-first approaches but lack the actual housing stock to implement them.
    3. Affordable housing is poorly defined, as what is considered affordable varies widely by location and economic circumstances.
  3. Barriers to Housing Solutions
    1. Community resistance (NIMBYism) remains a major challenge—residents want homelessness addressed but oppose affordable housing developments in their neighborhoods.
    2. Underutilized spaces, such as military bases and vacant buildings, could be repurposed for housing, but policies and zoning laws often prevent this.
    3. Oversight of homelessness programs is lacking, with concerns about whether grantees use funding effectively to create meaningful change.
  4. Challenges in Service Delivery
    1. Follow-up in the system is inadequate—people are given resource lists but lack guidance in navigating them.
    2. Many services are not tested for effectiveness, leading to cases where individuals are referred to non-functional or overwhelmed programs.
    3. Relocation without long-term support often fails, simply moving the issue elsewhere instead of solving it.
    4. Time is a critical factor—the longer individuals remain homeless, the harder it becomes for them to recover and reintegrate.
  5. Community Action and Advocacy
    1. Some residents have successfully advocated for local cleanup efforts, such as addressing homeless encampments, and believe these methods could be replicated citywide.
    2. There’s a need to document effective strategies that have worked in individual cases and scale them for broader implementation.

Conclusion & Next Steps

The discussion highlighted the need for stronger leadership, better accountability, and community engagement to shift public perceptions and implement lasting solutions. Moving forward, real conversations are needed to overcome resistance to affordable housing, improve oversight of homeless services, and create a comprehensive, long-term strategy that addresses homelessness as a systemic issue rather than an individual failure.

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