Zócalo Public Square

Los Angeles leaders have developed billion-dollar plans to boost services and build housing for the homeless. But such plans are now stuck in political quicksand, with neighborhood activists blocking shelters and new housing. Meanwhile, living in a city with a homelessness emergency is an everyday struggle, and there is no guidebook to dealing with sidewalk squalor or witnessing human suffering on your street. What’s the best way for Angelenos to engage with our homeless neighbors? What can we contribute to make a real difference in their lives? And who, if anyone, should we call when we perceive a threat, or see someone in crisis? UCLA sociologist Randall Kuhn, Social Venture Partners Los Angeles executive director Christine Margiotta, executive director of the California Policy Lab at UCLA Janey Rountree, and Chris Ko, Managing Director of Homelessness and Strategic Initiatives at United Way of Greater Los Angeles, visited Zócalo to discuss how everyday Angelenos can best respond to the challenges of homele