Los Angeles Daily News reported that the Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously to explore the idea of forming a committee made up of people who are most directly affected by the homelessness crisis – people who are currently or have previously experienced homelessness. The “Commission on Lived Experience with Homelessness” will help inform Los Angeles City leaders on what it’s really like to be unhoused in Los Angeles. They will shed light on the existing barriers to accessing services and permanent housing, the effectiveness of outreach and other programs, encampment sweeps, the relationship people experiencing homelessness have with law enforcement and offer solutions to improve service delivery. The exact details of the commission are yet to be decided, but this is a step in the right direction!
The People Concern is an avid supporter of Peer Advocacy. We believe in giving a platform to people with lived experience to share and uplift their voices, stories and first-hand experiences. We are proud to hire people with lived experience across our programs; for example, Peer Advocates add a tremendous benefit to our Multidisciplinary Outreach teams across L.A. County. The Peer Advocate’s role is to build and maintain relationships with our program participants and help participants along their journey to rebuilding their lives. Through their shared experiences, Peer Advocates are able to relate to program participants, build trust and ultimately advocate for program participants when seeking services.
Read Los Angeles Daily News’ full article, LA Leaders Tackling Homelessness Seeks More Advice From People Directly Affected by Crisis here.