Community Voices
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The grand opening event for Beacon Landing in November 2024. (photo: Tammy Khan)

January brought us the worst LA County fires our region has ever experienced. 

While the fires were devastating and will change the LA housing landscape for decades to come, the way our communities united to mobilize for those needing everything from supplies to a place to rest their heads reminds me why LA is a special place. 

In the wake of the fires, I’m now being asked, “How will the fires impact the homelessness crisis?”

This new situation will potentially exacerbate an already complex problem, and we will definitely feel the strain of housing shortages more acutely than before. 

Housing is a supply-and-demand equation. The more we have, the more affordable it is. The more people competing for the limited supply, the higher the cost of housing for all.

CalMatters recently published some very telling statistics: These fires have burned through more than 40,000 acres, killed at least 24 people, and damaged or destroyed an estimated 12,000 homes and other structures. 

Once the smoke clears, LA County will need to figure out not only how to house the more than 75,000 homeless residents they already have but find solutions to the new challenge of rehousing those who have lost their homes as a result of the January fires. 

Additionally, the region may need to redefine homelessness. If you recently lost your home and are waiting to find a new one that you can afford and in a location where you can resume work, school, or life, how are you any different from our neighbors who have been in the same circumstance for years?

Here are a few more questions I received over the past month: 

What happened to the $27 billion that was paid out to help with homelessness?

Many dollar amounts are thrown around regarding what has been allocated to address homelessness in a community—at the city, county, and state levels. Rest assured, this money is working to do just that. From my vantage point, we have more resources directed at this issue than ever before, which is reflected in the level of supportive services currently offered. 

Money is a critical need to solve homelessness, but money meets the solution in two ways—housing and services. Housing production can only move as quickly as our systems and the humans constructing them can move. Services are only as good as the staff we can hire, train, and retain. 

Every day, I see the results of these investments. Every day, however, more people also become homeless—more than we can house and serve. It’s a highly complex and layered formula that isn’t only based on financial math. 

Right here in San Pedro, Beacon Landing is a prime example of what is possible. The 89-unit supportive housing development took a little over two years, $40 million, and several nonprofit developers and service providers to collaborate to ensure its successful completion. This housing development was made possible through a combination of public and private dollars, and additional developments similar to Beacon Landing are being completed throughout LA County. But we need more. 

Why doesn’t the state or Medi-Cal help these individuals with mental health and addiction while they are waiting for housing? 

Medi-Cal does. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to work on these issues without a safe and stable roof over your head. I do applaud our local providers, such as Harbor Community Health Centers and Healthcare in Action, who work to bring these services directly to individuals experiencing street-based homelessness. 

Do you feel like the state of these private nonprofit organizations are enabling the homeless problem because they are not addressing the underlying problems of homelessness? 

The underlying issues related to homelessness are complex, and there is not a one-size-fits-all solution. We do know that some combination of housing and supportive services is the answer.  

If we look at the actual cause of homelessness for most individuals, it’s not a diagnosis or condition, but rather a life event or cascade of financial challenges (injury, job loss, missed car payments, childcare issues). 

The biggest thing we can do to solve the underlying issue of homelessness is to prevent it from happening. Local organizations like Harbor Connects rush to fill these short-term financial challenge gaps for our neighbors so that a missed car payment or one month of missed rent doesn’t spiral into a new neighbor living on our streets.

Have a question? Email me at info@sheikhimpact.com. spt

Amber Sheikh

Amber Sheikh is a San Pedro resident, mother of two, community advocate, and owner of Sheikh/Impact, a nonprofit consulting firm. She has nearly two decades of experience working in and with organizations solving homelessness and income inequality.