Mankind is No Island... Shot Entirely on a Cellphone

pjkip23
Dec 18, 2008
2 min read

Tropfest NY 2008 winner, "Mankind Is No Island" by Jason van Genderen Torah teaches us to care for the stranger, the widow, the orphan, the poor... Are we doing our job? Is it enough to go serve in a shelter or food pantry on Thanksgiving or New Years?

According to the Los Angeles Coalition to End Hunger and Homelessness, there are:

73,702 homeless people on any given night in Los Angeles County
40,144 homeless people in the City of Los Angeles alone
141,737 homeless people annually in Los Angeles County (COC)

Can you stand to look at the problem straight in the face? If so, check out these lives that need our help:

Gender

Approximately 59% of the homeless population is male, 24% female, and 2% transgendered<1>

Ethnicity

African Americans are over-represented in the homeless population, comprising over 50%, while in Los Angeles County they comprise just over 9% of the general population
Nearly 24% of the homeless population is Hispanic/Latino, and 19% is Caucasian

Age

Median age of Los Angeles COC homeless is 45 years old
15% of the homeless population (10,116) are children under the age of 18

Veterans

12% of homeless people are veterans.

Education

41% of the homeless population have a high school diploma or GED
7% have an Associate’s, Bachelor’s or higher degree

Shelter

83% of the County’s homeless population is unsheltered
Of the 35% of homeless who tried to access a shelter, 45% of the individuals state they were turned away

Homeless Families

24% of Los Angeles’ homeless are homeless families
16,643 homeless individuals comprise over 6200 homeless families in Los Angeles County
82% of homeless families are unsheltered

Domestic Violence

20% of women reported experiencing domestic violence
11% of homeless individuals stated that they were currently experiencing domestic violence

Victimization

27% of homeless people report being a victim of assault since becoming homeless
42% of homeless individuals report being victims of police harassment since becoming homeless

Health Care

48% of homeless people use the emergency room as their primary source of health care
Over 53% had been to the emergency room at least once in the last 12 months
22% have needed medical attention since becoming homeless but were unable to receive it

Disabilities

Nearly 31% of homeless survey respondents are mentally ill and almost 35% are physically disabled
Overall, around 74% of homeless individuals report a disabling condition

Need Affordable Housing<2>