A recent study reveals that Mayor Karen Bass’s Inside Safe program, which aims to relocate homeless individuals to motels and hotels, has little long-term effect on reducing homelessness.
The RAND Corporation conducted research in homeless hotspots such as Venice, Hollywood, and Skid Row, examining the impact of tent removals on the homeless population. While there was an initial decrease in homelessness immediately following the clearances, the number of unhoused individuals returned to previous levels within one to two months.
Researchers found that the Inside Safe program merely shifts homeless individuals from one area to another, with many returning to the streets shortly after relocation.
An unintended consequence of the tent removal efforts has been an increase in unsheltered homelessness. As the city government cleared homeless encampments, more people began sleeping on the streets without tents. In Venice, the number of unsheltered individuals doubled after the Inside Safe initiative, accounting for half of the total homeless population in the area.
The study revealed that 52% of homeless individuals in Skid Row, Hollywood, and Venice have been living on the streets for over three years, with 75% having been homeless for more than a year. 45% reported chronic physical health conditions, while 56% suffered from chronic mental health issues. For homeless women, domestic violence was often cited as a contributing factor to their situation.
Significant demographic differences were observed between the areas:
- In Skid Row, 68% of the homeless population was Black.
- In Venice, 65% of the homeless were White.
- Hollywood had the highest proportion of Latino homeless at 28%.
- Skid Row’s homeless population was, on average, 14 years older than those in Hollywood.
- Hollywood had the highest rate of drug overdoses at 40%, with nearly a quarter reporting developmental disabilities – almost triple the rate in Venice.
- Venice’s homeless population had the highest education levels, with 35% having attended college or vocational school, compared to 20% in Hollywood and Skid Row.
This report clearly demonstrates that simply removing tents is not a solution to the homelessness crisis, particularly for those experiencing mental illness. It appears that addressing homelessness effectively may require more forceful measures than current voluntary programs provide.
