28/01/2024
“Down and out in Hollywood”
I’m sure we’ve all heard the phrases like, “Never judge a book by its cover”, “We are all god’s children”. I was also taught, Every person has their own story and journey that brought them to this point in time no matter how great or tragic. This falls true for our homeless population who are people too. Just like millions of Americans throughout the country people fall on hard times, or some may have a mental, or physical reason for being homeless. Whatever the various reasons these are people and we look down on them like garbage instead with an empathetic eye. We complain that they sleep on benches, alleyways, parks, and beg for money to get a meal. We think there is a solution and a place for them to go everyday and night, a beautiful place that can fit every person. They are called shelters and there is just not enough space for all homeless no matter what your being told. Even if there is room, some don’t go to shelters because of the rules. For example, not all their belongings are allowed inside so they would rather brave the elements then lose their worldly possessions.
59% of Americans are one paycheck away from being homeless. You can fact check that.
Cities around the country like our city are criminalizing homelessness, arresting them for loitering, harassing them, and bulldozing their camps destroying their worldly possessions. Hollywood and other cutie even go after charities that try to help. Remember, the homeless voice?
“We are seeing an increase in these laws at the state and local level that criminalize homelessness, and it’s really a misguided reaction to this homelessness crisis,” said Scout Katovich, a staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, which has filed lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of sweeps and property seizures in a dozen cities, including Minneapolis, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Anchorage , Albuquerque, and Boulder, Colorado.
“These laws and these practices of enforcement do nothing to actually alleviate the crisis and instead they keep people in this vicious cycle of poverty,” she said.
This holds true in Hollywood as well. If you’re not living under a stone you may have noticed fewer and fewer homeless around our city and especially in the tourist areas like the beach and downtown. So where are they going? Has the county built a building that can house all the homeless?
Last time I checked there are not to many places to house the number of homeless in Broward county. There is a lack of existing shelters are what shelters are in place are extremely overcrowded. People like myself that are empathetic to the homeless population in our city are wondering where are they going?
Like the plot right out of a movie I’ve heard stories about vans and busses going around the city and county collecting the homeless and dropping them in a different location? This is called “Greyhound Therapy” and has been used by many cities in this country.
The city of Hollywood and county have a program, “TFFEH” Task force fore ending homelessness, and our leaders are proud of this type of initiative as are most cities around the country.
Our city is even boasting and gloating how they are tackling the homeless population with a joint effort by the police and the county with this program, but it’s all true?
Again there is a lack of placement options in our county and not enough space to handle the population.
Are they just putting a band aide on the problem because it’s an election year?
I have so many questions about this and are we depriving people from life liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
I watch so many Hollywood residents fighting for such petty issues like saving green spaces, NO more condos on the beach, and more low income housing for non-residents when there are so many larger issues that need to be tackled.
Fact: some of these LMI housing projects are adding to the homeless population by tearing down their homes in the name of progress.
I ask you the question. Why is no one fighting for the silent population, the homeless? Why are we not fighting for more shelters and actual programs that help put a cure to the issue.
I once asked the old owner of Sunset golf course if he would be okay with the homeless living on the property when it say dormant for years. He told me he didn’t object but couldn’t say yes do to insurance. One word of this and the usual suspects were up in arms looking for blood.
I saw then where their priorities were and to this day have zero nice things to say about them.
How about we try fighting for what’s really important in our cities and country. People!
