Supervisors Hilda Solis and Kathryn Barger co-authored a motion directing the county Homeless Initiative team and Office of Emergency Management to look at how homeless service organizations can work with county emergency service departments to mitigate the effects of extreme weather.
“Today’s action is a reminder that human-driven climate change is a constant reality, but it has its greatest impact on our homeless neighbors,” Solis said. “With extreme weather conditions creating a new normal for all county residents, we must be better prepared to help our most vulnerable populations.”
Temperatures in excess of 100 degrees, combined with a lack of access to water, can be life-threatening, Barger said. She said she saw residents who live in the Fifth District, which includes the Antelope Valley, buying up cases of water to hand out to homeless people.
Emergency services teams also handed out water, hygiene kits and bus tokens for transport to local cooling centers.
“(Water) can be the difference between them ended up in our emergency rooms or even dying,” Barger said.
The coroner’s office is working to determine how many, if any, homeless individuals died as a result of recent extreme temperatures, coroner’s spokesman Ed Winter told City News Service. There were some deaths at homeless encampments during the time in question, but they may have been due to drug overdose or other causes, he explained.
“We don’t want to put out misinformation,” Winter said, estimating that it might take another week or so to get good data.
One of the things the county will look at is whether it is feasible for homelessness outreach teams, including those working for the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, to take homeless clients to cooling centers set up by the county. A report is expected back in 30 days.
Barger said the centers were open to everyone, but travel posed an obstacle.
“We will be exploring ways to improve access to critical resources for unsheltered individuals — like cooling centers and expanded outreach efforts — over the next several months,” she said.
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AV Illegal says
Yup, all human driven climate change…..I encourage you to go back in time a research temperatures recorded. Do you know in 1938, say August 2nd, it was 105 in Lancaster…..in fact, many years were hotter than this year or last. Go visit a site like >>> https://www.wunderground.com/history/daily/us/ca/lancaster/KWJF/date/2018-8-2 and you can look at the recorded temperatures from years ago to current. I bet you will find things have not changed much…or, you can continue on with the climate change thing.
Many fires are a result of human interaction…..arson, incidental causes like mowing weeds when they are dry, using cutting torches in the open fields, electrical system maintenance failures. None of these started from climate change. As to how they burn, also look at the history. CA has had some pretty incredible fires back in times past. But I suppose you can focus n today and blame it all on climate change. Take some time and research fires as well. http://www.fire.ca.gov/fire_protection/fire_protection_fire_info_redbooks
AV Illegal says
Wait, what?
David G says
Climate change? You never know what these simple minded empty headed liberals will come up with next. These clowns are hooked up with the New York Socialist…why not get everyone a free brand new home? I know one thing these idiotic pols live nowhere near homeless people and probably have large gates around their houses. Typical liberal whackos.
F...K AV says
Yeah, record heat, massive fires and dwindling water supplies are pure liberal fantasy. What does liberal even means these days since the word liberal has become code for people with an IQ over 75, or possessing common sense. When the tap runs dry it’ll run dry for you too.
Denise Kramer says
Cannot believe the heartless comments here..I was homeless due to a domestic violence case and feared for my life..left all my possessions behind..I had a job but I was a sitting duck for the violent man I could not get away from. I met many people like me having to resort to homelessness to save themselves from abuse and abusers. Wake up! The assumptions and generalizations you all make about the homeless prove how ignorant and horrible you really are. Homelessness could happen to anyone at anytime..what if your loved ones were in my predicament..shame on all of you for your ugly comments and judgement.
Alexis says
I can see that most minds aren’t going to change, Denise. They’re too busy judging what they don’t understand.
Grams says
These heartless people make everything political, idiots!
Amy says
Well spoken.
David says
You were homeless because of the choices YOU made. Your life would get better when you start taking personal responsibility for your dumb choices you make. I know you hate to hear this as you have made a career out of being a victim.
NeverGiveThemChange says
human-driven climate change?
We should give them one way bus tokens to the beach.
Ron says
Let the druggies die. Give them some good heroin. 50% pure.
Alexis says
@Ron… Most drug addicts have homes. This if from the American Journal of drug and alcohol abuse: Health care professionals, sales, law enforcement, restaurant workers, farming, forestry, and fishing, politicians, etc. are just a fraction of the people out in the world that are abusing alcohol and drugs. What’s your god, Ron?
If voting mattered...... says
Well, if you’re giving out high potency heroin, I want in. And yes, I’m employed. Does that bother you? I may be your heroin using weekend warrior drug user coworker and you would never know.
David G says
I think you are on to something..worth a shot so to speak
Ron says
This is why you should never do drugs.
Tim Scott says
This is why we wish you would Ron.
Denise Kramer says
Soooo wrong
Many are stuck due to circumstances that no one will make any effort to change because you are to busy assuming you know why they are homeless..mine was due to abuse and fear from my ex significant other..I became homeless TO SAVE MY LIFE..police were no help because he always ran before they could find him..lived in fear u til I left for the streets…
oh well says
how about some passes for the train so they can go back to downtown it’s cooler down there, some of these people like how they live, they do not want any help, the way things are it is probably less stressful to live a homeless life with no bills than to try and keep up the ” American dream”
Lies and liars and the deluded believers... says
What American dream? Closer to the American myth pumped down our throats for 75 years. The reality of the decades of lies are coming to roost. The lack of a real healthcare system – unless you’re already rich. Declining wages? Engineered recessions? The raping and complete elimination of pension plans? The rigged real-estate market benefiting deep pocket funny money foreign investors and already wealthy house flippers? Education so expensive it’s not even worth attending college? Trillion dollar wars manufactured with faked intelligence? Please, point me in the direction of this mythical ‘American dream” and the Greatest.Country. Ever!!! because I ain’t seeing it.
William says
You’ve been paying attention unlike the short-attention span trump and steve knight voters hereabouts.
Lillian says
Easier said than done most don’t want to better themselves.
F__k the AV says
Snore. Is that opinion from your pamphlet of cliche, beat dead right winger talking points? When was the last time you helped a homeless person? I’ll bet you’d practice every form of hiring discrimination you could get away with if offered the chance.
Ignacio says
You sound like a true libtard. Blame anything you disagree with but actually are guilty of yourself.
Grams says
Ignacio what do you look like sweetie? Prob not a conservative so shut your pie hole!
Denise Kramer says
Soooo wrong
Many are stuck due to circumstances that no one will make any effort to change because you are to busy assuming you know why they are homeless..mine was due to abuse and fear from my ex significant other..I became homeless TO SAVE MY LIFE..police were no help because he always ran before they could find him..lived in fear u til I left for the streets…
Alexis says
@Lillian…I know you are making an uninformed comment. It’s the one’s wearing thousand dollar suits, in power, that are destroying. I was homeless for ten years after living in a 3700 sq. ft. home, north of Santa Maria. My son died, then my husband died, all within three months, and through a series of circumstances, I ended up on the streets. What I learned was that there are so many people feeling hopeless, helpless, wandering in the dark, not knowing how to escape. I thank God for the people that help those in need, and that is why I am now a functioning part of society, and am able to give back what was given to me.
Denise Kramer says
She is right..many are stuck because of the heartless judgements of people like you
Denise Kramer says
Sorry wrong post..I lost everything I owned house and boat and cars because of a domestic violence situation..been there ignore these ignorant FOOLS..
Mary says
30 days? By then more will be dead.
adam says
If you see a homeless person dying of starvation in the street, you legally can’t, and aren’t required to help. Yes, It is illegal for an individual in LA to give food to the homeless, and California Health and Safety Code Section 1799.102 says, “No person who in good faith, and not for compensation, renders emergency medical or nonmedical care at the scene of an emergency shall be liable for any civil damages resulting from any act or omission. Basically you can’t be sued for not saving someone’s life and If you do try to intervene with food, you go to jail. I clearly remember attending a more progressive evangelical church with rock music as a kid, and them telling us that there is no grey area between gods law and the law of the land, they are one in the same, so letting all the homeless die off is part of gods master plan? Luckily many millennial ‘snowflakes’ don’t share the values the the old generation holds close like like classism (we are broke and don’t care), and racism (we had more exposure to the melting pot). Classism is one of the more stupid ideologies we are enslaved too. Many Angelinos look at anything past noho as the boonies. Those in Santa Clarita are comforted by the illusion that, hey at least I don’t live in the AV where it is unsustainably dangerous. Those on the west side are comforted by an illusion that the east side is where the all riff raff occurs. In the east side we think, hey at least I’m not stuck in Sun Village or Lake LA, and for those residents, lake el aliens as the locals call them, hey it’s not hi vista calcity or vv right ;) And if you are in victorville. It’s a whole new world compared to Barstow. Yet, Barstow isn’t bad as yermo, dagget, newberry, or a van in the desert. All of them consider themselves as part of the middle class patchwork but the effective class division is uncanny. At the bottom of the system you die on the street and no one is allowed to save you, and we rationalize that thinking. Can’t wait for the torch to be passed.
Alida Guzman says
Have the road water trucks drive by there camps and wet the area around them for some moist asmophere .Put more portable sinks like at the fair for hand wash or body wash. Portable toilets. More government phone give aways so they can call for medical help. Emotional help. To call for resources. Maybe for a job. It’s a start. There human
David G says
What a silly idea….why don’t you PAY for it?