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Youmanitarian 07 Jun 2021

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Nicholas on Los Angeles's Homeless Sweeps in Hollywood

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This interview was recorded at a protest blockading homeless sweeps around the Hollywood Bridge Housing. Bridge Housing is just a new sexy term for a homeless shelter. The city of Los Angeles wants to give the perception that these shelters are only temporary for homeless people to be placed into housing, but since there is no housing, few exit the shelters.

To get the communities to allow Bridge Housing, the city promises homeless sweeps that they call Special Enforcement Zones. When the Hollywood Bridge Shelter opened some time ago, I started sharing on social media how ridicules it is to place 72 people inside and then disrupt the lives of hundreds of homeless people with criminalization. Los Angeles spends over $30 million on homeless sweeps. That money could be used to build 15 shelters or many other much more practical uses. The criminalization of homelessness is a waste of taxpayer money.

I first met Nicholas a few nights earlier at a homeless friend's tent. We got into a lengthy debate about advocacy. My first impression of Nicholas is he was a kind young man and really smart.

Nicholas shares about how challenging the constant displacement and harassment of homeless people who have nowhere else to go. He says he has to find new ways to survive every day. Nicholas once lost his birth certificate and social security card in a homeless sweep, and if you are not aware, replacing documents for identification is extremely hard.

During the pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that homeless sweeps are stopped because displacement is a risk to public safety. Los Angeles, like many communities, reduced the number of homeless sweeps but never actually stopped. Now, the city has authorized sweeps to continue at full scale going against CDC guidelines.

Nicholas was first homeless with his mother at 12. He remembers having his 13th birthday at a homeless shelter. You'll see in this interview, Nicholas is very self-aware. Given the opportunity and some support, Nicholas has a strong future, which is where you come in.

If you'd like to learn more about homeless sweeps in Los Angeles and to support advocacy working for smarter and more human solutions, visit https://servicesnotsweeps.com

Your voice can help end homelessness. If we do not fix the affordable housing crisis, homelessness will continue to get worse. Click here https://invisiblepeople.tv/getinvolved to tweet, email, call, or Facebook your federal and state legislators to tell them ending homelessness and creating more affordable housing is a priority to you.

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Invisible People’s website:

http://invisiblepeople.tv

Support Invisible People:

https://invisiblepeople.tv/donate

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Invisible People’s Social Media:

https://www.youtube.com/invisiblepeople
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https://www.instagram.com/invisiblepeople
https://www.facebook.com/invisiblepeopletv

Mark Horvath’s Twitter:

https://twitter.com/hardlynormal

About Invisible People

There is a direct correlation between what the general public perceives about homelessness and how it affects policy change. Most people blame homelessness on the person experiencing it instead of the increasing shortage of affordable housing, lack of employment, a living wage or the countless reasons that put a person at risk. This lack of understanding creates a dangerous cycle of misperception that leads to the inability to effectively address the root causes of homelessness.

We imagine a world where everyone has a place to call home. Each day, we work to fight homelessness by giving it a face while educating individuals about the systemic issues that contribute to its existence. Through storytelling, education, news, and activism, we are changing the narrative on homelessness.

This isn’t just talk. Each year, our groundbreaking educational content reaches more than a billion people across the globe. Our real and unfiltered stories of homelessness shatter stereotypes, demand attention and deliver a call-to-action that is being answered by governments, major brands, nonprofit organizations, and everyday citizens just like you.

However, there is more work to be done on the road ahead. Homelessness is undoubtedly one of our biggest societal issues today and will only continue to grow if we don’t take action now.

Invisible People is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to educating the public about homelessness through innovative storytelling, news, and advocacy. Since our launch in 2008, Invisible People has become a pioneer and trusted resource for inspiring action and raising awareness in support of advocacy, policy change and thoughtful dialogue around poverty in North America and the United Kingdom.

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Dramatic moment severe flooding sweeps cars away in Spain
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