Imperfect Paradise presents HTLA: Volunteers Take On The Homelessness Crisis: Part 1 & 2
Imperfect Paradise
LAist Studios
4.5 • 535 Ratings
🗓️ 27 December 2023
⏱️ 69 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
This week, Imperfect Paradise is featuring Part 1 & Part 2 of a four-part series from How To LA.
Unsheltered life in L.A. can be dangerous and even deadly — and there has been a massive increase in the death rate for unhoused people in the county over the last few years.
There is work being done by the mayor’s office to get people off the street and into temporary housing. But the promise of services — whether in the form of housing, treatment for substance addiction, or mental health counseling — cannot help if people aren’t alive in 6 months, a year — or 5 — to receive them.
While they wait, many unhoused people have come to rely on mutual aid volunteers to cover their immediate needs, from overdose prevention to fresh drinking water.
In this mini-series from How To LA, host Brian De Los Santos and producer Evan Jacoby explore what these mutual aid groups actually do for our unhoused neighbors, and where these service gaps come from in the first place.
CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains strong language and includes sensitive content about drug overdose and death.
For substance dependency and mental health support and resources, call SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or text 988.
Guests in Part 1: Ndindi Kitonga, founder Palms Unhoused Mutual Aid (PUMA); Jesse Goldshear, volunteer with PUMA and postdoc researcher studying public health at the University of California, San Diego; Aria Cataño, co-founder of WaterDrop LA; Sade Kammen, volunteer with WaterDrop LA and social worker in Skid Row
Guests in Part 2: LA Mayor Karen Bass; Councilmember Kevin de León of Council District 14; Councilmember Nithya Raman of Council District 4; Hawk, U.S. Veteran & Skid Row Resident; Sade Kammen, Volunteer With WaterDrop LA; Nick Gerda, LAist Unhoused Communities Reporter
Music in this episode composed by: Chris Schlarb, Dexter Thomas, Evan Jacoby, Floating Points, Geir Sundstøl, Ill Considered, Imaginary Softwoods, indiegamemusic.com, K. Leimer, Laurie Spiegal, Nala Sinephro, Laurie Spiegal, Meitei, Ricky Eat Acid, Woo
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Grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at SHOPIFY.COM/paradise
Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.
This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.
Transcript
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| 0:27.6 | rebates to save you thousands. Claim your rebates at elephantenergy.com. We're just not a priority. |
| 0:34.7 | We're just not a priority. The amount of people that share needles because they don't have |
| 0:42.4 | enough money to buy pipes or needles and stuff like that, we don't have that problem here |
| 0:47.2 | because of them. Hello, Imperfect Paradise listeners. This week, we're bringing you a series from our good friends over at fellow L.Aist podcast, How to L.A. |
| 0:59.7 | I've been really moved listening to this series because it gets into this very difficult issue, one that we've covered here on this show, which is homelessness here in Los Angeles, and the difficulties and nuances in addressing |
| 1:12.1 | this major issue. But what I personally enjoyed most in this series and why I think it'll |
| 1:18.7 | appeal to you imperfect listeners is that this series also offers us an inside peek into daily |
| 1:24.3 | life on Skid Row, which is a place that has its own culture and its own sense of |
| 1:28.9 | community. I really enjoyed hearing from the people who live there. A note before we get started, |
| 1:35.7 | we get into some heavy themes in this episode, and so there's some strong language ahead. |
| 1:41.9 | Without further ado, here's host Brian DeL. Santos and producer Evan Jacoby from How to LA. |
| 1:51.4 | So syringes, alcohol pads, cotton balls, cookers, turnicates. |
| 1:58.9 | From L.A.S. Studios, this is How to L.A. |
| 2:02.6 | I'm your host, Brian de los Santos. |
| 2:04.8 | And I'm Evan Jacoby, a producer on the show. |
| 2:07.0 | One extra will go in that bag. |
| 2:09.6 | One extra will go in this bag. |
... |
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