A GROUP OF VIGILANTES IN SAN FERNANDO VALLEY, CALIFORNIA,
HAVE DECIDED TO HELP ESCORT INDIVIDUALS WHO WANT TO SHOP IN
GROCERY STORES INTO GROCERY STORES SO THAT THEY CAN
AVOID PANHANDLING.
IN FACT, PANHANDLING HAS GOTTEN SO BAD THAT VIGILANTES FEEL LIKE
THEY NEED SICK MATTERS INTO THEIR OWN HANDS, AND
PROTECT SHOPPERS.
LET'S HEAR FROM THE PERSON WHO FOUNDED THE FACEBOOK PAGE,
TO KIND OF MOBILIZE PEOPLE TO BE THESE VIGILANTES.
SHE SAYS, "WE'VE HAD A LOT OF CONCERNS ABOUT THE AGGRESSIVE
PANHANDLING, THE HOMELESS USING THE ENTRANCE TO RALPH'S AS
A BATHROOM, AND PEOPLE HAVE SHOP ñ STOP SHOPPING HERE AND
ARE GOING TO OTHER AREAS, WHICH IS BAD FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
INSTEAD OF BEING SCARED AND RUNNING OFF, WE THOUGHT WE
WOULD COME HERE AND ESCORT PEOPLE WHO FEEL UNSAFE.
WE WENT TO SHOP IN OUR COMMUNITY WITHOUT BEING FEARFUL."
NOW, I
HAVE NO HATE FOR HER, I HEAR WHAT SHE'S SAYING, SHE
WANTS TO GO THERE AND HELP SHOPPERS, AND THAT'S GREAT, BUT
THIS IS A SYMPTOM OF A PROBLEM THAT WE CONSTANTLY IGNORE.
HOMELESSNESS HAS RISEN DRAMATICALLY IN THE COUNTRY, AND
ONE HOMELESS MAN WAS INTERVIEWED, HIS NAME IS ARCHER,
A 30-YEAR-OLD FROM ALABAMA.
HE SAID HE IS A MUSICIAN WHO PLAYS GUITAR, BASS, PIANO,
HE PRODUCES, SINGS, WRAPS AND IS A DJ, AND HAS GIGS LINE UP
AND ANOTHER JOB, BUT HE DOES MAKE ENOUGH MONEY TO LIVE
IN A RESIDENCE.
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE COUNTRY CAN RELATE TO THIS RIGHT
NOW, AND I AM WHAT TO GIVE THE REASONS WHY WE ARE SEEING MORE
AND MORE HOMELESS IN JUST A SECOND, BUT I WANT YOU TO
JUMP IN.
YEAH, ON THIS ONE I HAVE MIXED FEELINGS, AND I WILL TELL
YOU IN A SECOND.
IN THE CASE OF JTRA, WHO CLEARLY HAS TOO MANY INITIALS IN HIS
NAME, HE SEEMS LIKE A GOOD GUY, AND HE READ SOME OF HIS
QUOTES, AND IT'S GUTWRENCHING.
HE HAS A JOB, HE DOES MAKE ENOUGH MONEY, AND I FEEL
TERRIBLE FOR HIM, AND THAT IS THE CASE PUBLICLY FOR A LOT
OF HOMELESS.
ON THE OTHER HAND, SOME OF THE HOME WAS TO HAVE DRUG ISSUES, WE
CAN'T BE NAœVE ABOUT THAT, AND DO HAVE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.
SO, IF YOU SAY TO ME, OKAY, ARE YOU COMFORTABLE WITH YOURSELF,
OR YOUR FAMILY, OR WHATEVER, WALKING PAST SOMEBODY WHO
YOU THINK HAS A DECENT CHANCE OF HAVING A MENTAL ILLNESS?
WALKING PAST IS TOO STRONG, OF COURSE YOU WALK PAST THEM,
THERE'S ALMOST UNFORTUNATELY IN ALL OF THESE CITIES, AND WE
DON'T GIVE THEM PROPER CARE.
BUT IF SOMEBODY FEELS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH IT, AND
THEY WANT TO BE ESCORTED IN, I'M NOT SURE THAT I THINK THAT
IS A TERRIBLE THING, DO YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING?
LIKE I SAID, I DO NOT BLAME ANYONE WHO WANTS TO GET
INVOLVED, AND PROTECT CUSTOMERS WHO WANT TO GO IN AND SHOP.
I WANT TO BE HONEST, I HAVE PERSONALLY EXPERIENCED HOMELESS
PEOPLE WHO HAVE UNTREATED ñ BECAUSE THEY ARE HOMELESS ñ
UNTREATED MENTAL PROBLEMS, OR MENTAL CONDITIONS, AND, YOU
KNOW, THERE WAS ONE TIME WHEN I WAS RUNNING IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD,
AND A GUY STARTED COMING OUT, HE TOOK OFF HIS BELT, HE STARTED
SWINGING IT AND COMING IN MY DIRECTION, AND I HAD TO RUN IN
THE OTHER DIRECTION AS FAST AS I COULD, BECAUSE I WAS SCARED.
BUT THIS PROBLEM IS GOING TO GET WORSE, AND IT IS GETTING WORSE,
AT THIS MOMENT, FOR A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT REASONS, BUT THE TWO
ISSUES I WANT TO TALK ABOUT, AND I KNOW YOU WANT TO ROLL YOUR
EYES, HOUSING, WHICH I KNOW IS A PROBLEM.
I'M NOT GO TO ROLL MY EYES.
IT'S AN ISSUE I CARE ABOUT BECAUSE, LOOK, WE CAN BUILD
MOATS AROUND OURSELVES AS MUCH AS WE LIKE, BUT WE ALL WANT TO
LIVE IN SAFE COMMUNITIES WHERE EVERYONE HAS A CHANCE TO
SURVIVE, AND I FEEL LIKE WE ARE COMPLETELY DIMINISHING ANY AND
ALL OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO LIVE PEACEFUL AND
PROSPEROUS LIVES.
LET'S GO TO GRAPHIC 12, BECAUSE I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING IN LA SPECIFICALLY.
THERE WAS SOMETHING CALLED THE ELLIS ACT.
THE COALITION FOR ECONOMIC SURVIVAL FOUND 638
ELLIS ACTIVATIONS THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF 2017
IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY.
THE SAME TIME LAST YEAR, THERE WERE 294.
THE ELLIS ACT BASICALLY LETS LANDLORDS KNOW, IF YOU HAVE A
RENT-CONTROLLED BUILDING, YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND SWITCH IT FROM
RENTAL PROPERTY TO CONDOS, OR TO A HOTEL, OR IF YOU WANT YOU CAN
GO AHEAD AND DEMOLISH THAT BUILDING, AND REBUILD IT AS
LUXURY CONDOS, OR LUXURY APARTMENTS, AND THAT IS WAS
HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.
A LOT OF THESE RENT-CONTROLLED BUILDINGS FOR LOW INCOME
INDIVIDUALS ARE BEING DEMOLISHED, AND WE ARE BUILDING
THESE RIDICULOUS EXPENSIVE CONDOS, OR PARTNERS THAT WE
POSSIBLY CAN AFFORD.
THE OCCUPANCY RATE IN DOWNTOWN LA RIGHT NOW IS 12%,
AND THE REASON WHY IS BECAUSE THEY ARE BUILDING THESE
LUXURIOUS PLACES THAT PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD, RIGHT?
SO, IT'S A DUMB IDEA TO GET RID OF RENT-CONTROLLED BUILDINGS,
AND ALL THESE CRAZY CONDOS THAT PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD.
I TOTALLY DON'T AGREE.
OKAY, SO THEN WE ARE GOING TO SEE MORE HOMELESS PEOPLE ON
THE STREETS.
I THINK WE AGREE ON THE PROBLEM, I THINK WE JUST DON'T QUITE
AGREE ON THE SOLUTION.
I THINK THE SOLUTION IS TO HELP PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELESS ñ AND I
KNOW YOU AGREE WITH THAT PORTION OF IT ñ LIKE, UTAH DID THIS WITH
THE INTERESTING PROGRAM.
THEY HAD THIS CRAZY IDEA, WE HAVE HOMELESS, WHY DON'T WE
BUILD THEM HOMES?
AND I WAS VERY TYPICAL ABOUT IT, TO BE FAIR, BUT IT TURNS OUT, IT
WORKED, AND IT TURNED OUT TO BE A MUCH CHEAPER SOLUTION.
THEY BUILT, OBVIOUSLY PRETTY CHEAP HOMES, BUT THEY GOT
THEM OFF THE STREET, GAVE HIM SOME KIND OF HOUSING.
AND IT DOESN'T WORK IN EVERY CASE, IF YOU ARE MENTALLY ILL,
YOU MAY NOT STAY THERE, BUT YOU CAN RAISE MORE MONEY TO HELP THE
MENTALLY ILL, AND THAT IS ABOUT ñ
THAT IS A MUCH BETTER WAY TO DEAL WITH HOMELESSNESS.
I GET THAT SIDE OF THE ARGUMENT, ESPECIALLY SINCE MY DAD IS A
PROPERTY OWNER, HE DID NOT SAVE FOR RETIREMENT, HE LIVES OFF OF
HIS APARTMENT BUILDINGS AND THE RENT THAT HE COLLECTS, SO I GET
IT, IT'S SUPER UNTOUCHABLE TO HAVE THE GOVERNMENT GET
INVOLVED, AND TELL YOU, AS A PROPERTY OWNER, WHO POURED
ALL OF YOUR RESOURCES INTO THESE BUILDINGS, NO YOU CANNOT DO
THIS OR THAT, RIGHT?
BUT THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME SORT OF BALANCING ACT, AND RIGHT
NOW THERE IS NO BALANCING ACT.
RIGHT NOW, THE INVESTORS COME IN AND THEY ARE LIKE, WE ARE GOING
TO BUY YOUR BUILDING FOR DOUBLE WHAT IT'S WORTH, AND WE ARE
GOING TO DEMOLISH IT ñ
BECAUSE THEY THINK THEY ARE GOING TO MAKE MONEY.
THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO BOUNCE.
WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT VENEZUELA, RENT CONTROL IS
PRICE CONTROL.
I LIKE RENT-CONTROLLED.
THEY HAD RENT CONTROL IN NEW YORK, IT DID NOT
DESTABILIZE THE MARKET COMPLETELY, BUT IT IMPACTS
THE MARKET IN OTHER WAYS.
ON THEIR HAND, PRICES FOR BUILDINGS THAT ARE NOT
CONTROLLED THE NEW ART ARE SKYHIGH, FOR A NUMBER OF
REASONS.
COULD RENT CONTROL HAVE MADE THE OTHER APARTMENTS MORE EXPENSIVE?
IT IS POSSIBLE.
I WOULD RATHER ADJUST THE HOMELESSNESS THEN DEAL WITH
PEOPLE'S PROBLEMS.
YOU NEED TO MAKE $106,000
A YEAR TO AFFORD A TWO BEDROOM APARTMENT IN LOS ANGELES.
I'M NOT EVEN HAVING A CONVERSATIONAL BUYING
SOMETHING, TALKING ABOUT RENTING A TWO BEDROOM APARTMENT,
YOU NEED TO MAKE SIX FIGURES.
IF YOU ARE A SOCIAL WORKER, YOU GOT YOUR MASTERS DEGREE,
PUT YOURSELF THROUGH SCHOOL, AND THERE IS NO WAY WHY YOU
SHOULD HAVE TO LIVE IN GOVERNMENT HOUSING.
JUST TO GIVE YOU ANOTHER INSANE STATISTIC, THERE HAS BEEN A 23%
INCREASE IN HOMELESSNESS IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY SINCE LAST YEAR.
THAT IS A HUGE NUMBER.
SO, LOOK, LAST THING IS, I THINK THIS IS THE RIGHT WAY TO
HAVE THIS CONVERSATION.
I LIKE A BLACK AND WHITE WHERE WE SAY, NO, IT IS ALL X
PEOPLE'S FALSE, OR ON THE CONSERVATIVE SIDE,
HOMELESS, JUST GET THEM OUT OF THE STREET, CARES ABOUT THEM?
RIGHT?
NO, IF YOU ARE A DECENT HUMAN BEING, YOU HAVE TO CARE
ABOUT THESE GUYS.
IT IS NOT LIKE THEY ARE BOMBS, DID A QUARTER MORE DECIDE
TO BECOME LAZY OVER THE LAST YEAR?
NO, THERE'S OBVIOUSLY ECONOMIC CONDITIONS THAT ARE DRIVING IT.
I JUST THINK WE ARE BETTER SERVED IN NOT ONLY DOING
THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT, BUT YOU ARE RIGHT, PEOPLE ARE
NOT GETTING PAID DECENT WAGES, SO THEN I WOULD SAY WE SHOULD
INCREASE THE MINIMUM WAGE, FIND BETTER OPPORTUNITIES, FREE
COLLEGE EDUCATION, SO YOU HAVE THE EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY.
I WOULD ADDRESS IT FROM A DIFFERENT ANGLE THAN YOU WOULD,
AND I KNOW YOU DON'T DISAGREE WITH THE THINGS I'M SAYING.
I DON'T DISAGREE, I THINK YOU HAVE GOOD SOLUTIONS, I'M
NOT AGAINST THOSE SOLUTIONS, BUT ONE OTHER THING I WOULD DO
IS, YOU ARE A FOREIGNER WHO WANTS TO INVEST IN U.S.
PROPERTY?
NO, YOU ARE DONE.
IF YOU ARE COMING HERE, THAT'S FINE, BUT IF YOU ARE LIVING IN
CHINA OR RUSSIA AND YOU WANT A WAY TO LAUNDER YOUR MONEY?
NO.
WE ARE AGAINST ANCHOR APARTMENTS.