As we approach nearly sixty days since L.A.’s stay-at-home orders first went into effect in Southern California, much in Los Angeles has changed while much remains the same.
A case in point: according to Project Roomkey Tracker, which reports the number of rooms made available to L.A.’s unhoused since the L.A. Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) announced its goal of placing 15,000 seniors and disabled L.A. residents without housing into temporary hotel rooms, less than 2,500 of those rooms have actually been made available, while only 1,850 of those rooms have actually been occupied. To be sure, this is over five weeks since LAHSA announced the goal on April 3rd. As the Tracker points out:
At this rate, we will reach 15,000 rooms operational around December 15, 2020
If so, something tells me the sluggish rate won’t make for a very happy Christmas in Los Angeles.
At the same time, the L.A Times reports that traffic fatalities in the city, largely due to speeding, have returned to the same rate they were pre-pandemic, despite the fact that there have been less cars on the road during the period. All around Los Angeles, then, as it is throughout the country, people are gradually rebelling against warnings from public officials and returning to the road, sometimes recklessly.
But there is much more to tell, for which a few headlines simply won’t do. Today, I encourage readers to find their own stories, to write them, and to send them over to jimbotimes.com in order to inform more of our community about this extraordinary time.
J.T.
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