How Many Unhoused Angelenos Found Shelter During The Storm? (And Other Headlines)

A growing concern I had during the coverage of Tropical Storm Hilary was the rapid rate of water flowing into the L.A. River. As someone who went to a high school near the area, I know it’s a place where unhoused people find shelter.

Unsheltered in the storm

As of writing this newsletter, there have been no reports of deaths or major injuries in the L.A. area. And this could be due in part to homeless outreach teams going to high-risk areas like rivers and dams to warn people of the flood danger and urge them to get inside days before the storm.

My colleague Nick Gerda took a deeper look at how well L.A. fared in finding emergency shelter for people who are unhoused, and these were some of his findings:

• Altogether, 85 people from these high-risk areas went into emergency shelters set up for the storm and motels. They were among the overall total of 374 individuals and 140 families who made it into emergency shelters across L.A. County, according to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA).
• There were challenges, though — shelter details weren’t shared with the public until 2 p.m. Sunday, when the storm was already well underway. One woman called the county’s 2-1-1 hotline on Saturday evening saying sheriff’s deputies were telling her to leave the riverbed, but she was told there was nowhere she could go.
• Several hundred emergency beds made available across L.A. County went unused. 
• LAHSA does not have written disaster plans for how to help the unhoused population.

Advocates and others see the storm as a wake-up call for L.A. to learn and better prepare for future events as the weather gets more and more extreme.

“It's not by accident that this was the first [tropical storm to hit L.A.] since the ’30s. I don't think it's the last. Hopefully, we can be well prepared for the next one,” said Mercedes Marquez, who leads L.A. Mayor Karen Bass’ homelessness effort.

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More news

(After you stop hitting snooze)

• As the Hollywood strikes drag on, writer and WGA strike captain Joelle Garfinkel set up Green Envelope Grocery Aid — named after the color of the envelope containing residuals — to find a way to help her counterparts who are struggling financially have the means to buy groceries. 
• COVID cases in L.A. County have been creeping up since July, and a new vaccine has been tweaked to target the Omicron subvariants going around. 
• The heavy flooding and mudflows that Tropical Storm Hilary brought to the Coachella Valley have not spared the region’s farm fields, leaving some farmworkers unable to work.
• Due to new rental housing regulations put in place by the L.A. City Council earlier this year, we can now see where evictions are playing out across the city.
• So-called "smash and grab" style robberies are nothing new, but a recent spate of incidents in Southern California has put retailers and law enforcement on high alert.

Wait... one more thing

Podcasts that I'm listening to

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I seem to have phases with podcasts. There was a time around 2012-2015 when I would listen to multiple shows. Then I stopped. But now my love for podcasts has returned.

And it all started with a podcast from my colleagues about K-Pop. One podcast led to another and now here I am, about to write a list of some of my favorites in the last eight months, plus one I’m looking forward to.

• California Love: K-Pop Dreaming - I grew up listening to SE7EN and 2NE1, so it was only fitting that I listened to a podcast about the history of K-Pop. And it was a nice touch that host Vivian Yoon grew up in Koreatown, a place that I also frequented while growing up in L.A.
• Welcome To Our Show - The 2010s were pivotal for my fashion and life choices, and a TV show that influenced me during that time was New Girl. Cast members Zooey Deschanel, Hannah Simone, and Lamorne Morris do a rewatch of the series and have some behind-the-scenes discussions of the episodes. An honorable mention in the same category is the Laguna Beach rewatch podcast with Kristin Cavallari and Stephen Colletti.
• All the news: I love a news podcast — it’s my favorite thing to listen to while working. My obvious, very biased faves are How To LA and The L.A. Report. But coming soon, we are relaunching Imperfect Paradise as a weekly series, and it will be hosted by Antonia Cereijido. (Psst, you should also listen to the Barbie podcast she co-hosted.)

I’m always looking for the next podcast to listen to, so feel free to send me your suggestions!