Ya, many years ago being the key term. That's not they way now. I don't disagree with you about everyone needing a home where you feel safe, loved and feel like you belong. I know many of the young kids leave a terrible situation. Since we have moved to California, in 2004, its..... horribly different. When I traveled through here in the 80's, 90's it was just Disneyland compared to what it is now. It is, just a sea of need. So many people are literally one paycheck away from homelessness. People with degrees are sleeping in their cars. Families are on the streets. Section. 8 housing has waiting lists literally YEARS, almost a decade long. It's just a disaster. Downtown you can see people naked, in wheelchairs and just out of it - I mean I call and WAIT and nag for ambulances, police (even though half the time ITS IN FRONT of a police station. Breath-taking. It hurts my soul. I volunteer, give everything I can, also rescue animals, we have brought up our daughter to do the same. We give Christmas gifts of donations. I mean - we need solutions. It's not young people looking for a better life, it's terribly mentally ill, disabled, families wrecked by just one serious illness, people who lost a job (oh and here you can be fired for no reason at all without notice). Tough.Venice Beach (tangent)
Many years ago, four of us lived out of our van (where ever we could park it) off Venice Beach. We were travelling south to Mexico but stayed in LA for a couple months. We met many street kids/young adults during the time that we stayed around VB. One evening we were invited to watch a movie on a stolen tv and DVD player in one of the public washrooms that was found to actually have power. Many of these young individuals slept in ‘flop houses’… houses that were newly abandoned or in transition from being moved out of and sold.
It was an honour to have watched the movie in that disgusting washroom and changed me forever.
Everyone deserves a roof over their head no matter.
All these kids wanted was to feel cozy with a familiar and universal escape.