Blog
The People Concern is at the forefront of ending homelessness and domestic violence in Los Angeles County. We are dedicated to building a more equitable community so that all of our neighbors can be housed, healthy and safe. Education, advocacy and community dialogue are crucial to our work. Our blog takes a deeper dive into social justice and policy topics as they relate to homelessness and domestic violence and provides educational resources, a behind the scenes look into the work that we do and a space for open communication.
The Journey To Home Panel – 2/23/23
On Thursday, February 23, The People Concern staff experts Hazel Lopez, Ciara DeVozza, Lori Bowe and Melissa Vollbrecht provided an overview of housing solutions and homelessness services in Los Angeles County. Together they discussed outreach strategies, interim...
Meet Veronica
We are so proud of the progress Veronica has made since connecting with our program! Our Outreach Teams first met Veronica, while piloting the Encampment to Home initiative, in partnership with CD 10, which aimed to move people living in encampments under freeways...
Success Story: A Housing Plan and Services for K.S.
*Written by Guest Blogger Glanda Sherman, Palisades Outreach & Engagement Specialist, The People Concern K.S. came to the Palisades area to retreat from L.A.’s busy urban city life. As part of his hustle to supplement his income, the Palisades proved to be a...
Program Spotlight: SHWASHLOCK Locker Program
Located at the Annenberg Access Center in Santa Monica, The People Concern’s SHWASHLOCK program provides people experiencing homelessness with essential hygiene services including access to showers, laundry and lockers at no cost. Operating for nearly 30 years, the...
A Foster First: From Skid Row to Colorado
Charlotte was experiencing homelessness when she rescued Bougie, a stray dog, from an abandoned tent in Skid Row. Charlotte cared for Bougie and together they lived unhoused until Charlotte was moved into permanent housing with the help of The People Concern. After...
Meet Jeff
The People Concern’s Homeless Multidisciplinary Street Team (HMST) serves chronically homeless individuals who have been identified by the City of Santa Monica as the highest utilizers of emergency resources such as police, fire and emergency departments. Jeff, a...
Meet Juan
Born in El Salvador, Juan came to the United States as an immigrant farmworker in the 1980’s. Shortly thereafter, he was granted citizenship and resided in the Valley with his wife where he worked as a farmworker until their marriage ended in 1998. The divorce was...
Solving Homelessness Panel Series: Housing Innovation
On Tuesday, June 28, 2022, John Maceri joined Greg Comanor, Co-Founding Partner, Daylight Community Development and Jason Ward, Associate Director RAND Center for Housing and Homelessness in LA; Professor, Pardee RAND Graduate School; Author of Can Adaptive Reuse of...
Probation In Domestic Violence Cases: What DV Victims can Expect in Court
* Written by Guest Blogger, Jennie Vale. Data from survivor hotlines and service providers during the pandemic found that calls to the National Domestic Violence Hotline from Californians rose by about 17% from March to May in 2020 [1]. While shelter-in-place guidance...
Solving Homelessness: Prevention & Empowerment
On Friday, March 18, 2022, John Maceri The People Concern, CEO joined Mark Loranger, President and CEO of Chrysalis, and Nicholas Salazar, COO of the Fund for Guaranteed Income, with moderator D Fox, Deputy Director of the National Network To End Domestic Violence....
Christina shares how her personal experience with DV lead her to become a Sojourn volunteer!
Meet Christina! Christina first became connected to Sojourn, as a program participant. She was so moved by the support and sense of community that she received at Sojourn that she wanted to give back to others in similar situations and became a Sojourn volunteer!...
Perfect Strangers
*Story by guest writer: Nick Wenzel, Clinical Case Manager, The People Concern. As a rule, human life is rather chaotic. All the more so in the field of homelessness outreach services. There are times, however, when the chaos is briefly suspended and something...
Meet Sonya!
During the coronavirus pandemic, Sonya struggled to find work. She quickly spent her savings on rent and when she could no longer afford her apartment, she was evicted and fell into homelessness. Our team met Sonya when she was living unhoused in Santa Monica....
Petey found his forever home!
At The People Concern, we don't just provide housing and supportive services to our unhoused neighbors, we also care for and support the pets they love. For people experiencing homelessness, a pet is more than just a furry friend - pets provide security, emotional...