[Music]
across the country homelessness is
becoming a crisis I want to know how
you're gonna strengthen people to get
out of homelessness are you playing to
do anything to stop the increase of
homelessness or is this just a welcome
sign for the rest of the country you
need to disperse the problems this is a
decision between whether we keep people
on the streets or whether we take them
off the streets and in some places it's
driving a divide between the housed and
the homeless what does it take to be
seen as a person how's that feel going
instead of a problem
[Music]
I get darker tones to put on and then I
put on the concealer to lighten up
around the eyes and stuff I don't know
what to get anymore I have a hard time
thinking what it is that I'm getting
because I want to make sure that I'm not
wasting my money out of anything because
you know I'm homeless
[Music]
twenty-nine-year-old
Aryan Williams has been homeless for the
last five years she's part of a new wave
of homelessness where women are on the
front lines it's an epidemic
that can be clearly seen on the streets
of Los Angeles
[Music]
Renee knits bodies we're
sometimes I shower at the church on
Gower most of the time it's in my tent
with a lot of baby wipes and so when you
see homeless people your brain can't
fathom honestly how somebody could be
out there all it takes for you to be
homeless is they raise your rent and you
lose your job if they're homeless
the next month point-blank one of
Aaron's most surprising survival
techniques involves beauty this is my
makeup bag I use my makeup to cope with
being out here to make me feel less
homeless
[Music]
I've had a few jobs I had to wear makeup
to work everyday because that's what
everybody else was doing and if I don't
then I'll definitely stand out when they
find out when you're homeless they treat
you a lot differently whether I live
inside or outside I'm still a human
being I still have needs and necessities
just like the next person for Arian a
thin layer of eyeshadow keeps her
connected to society but it doesn't
shield her from the realities of the
street what does it like to be a woman
out on the streets if a woman is out
here by herself she is a walking target
every homeless woman I've ever met has
been raped
what kind of unique challenges are faced
by women who are experiencing
homelessness the challenge is that there
simply aren't enough resources there
aren't enough women focused programs or
women focused housing just 17% of the
shelter beds in Los Angeles are
designated for women year-round and many
of them are in mixed gender spaces
the services that do exist are largely
concentrated on Skid Row
Skid Row has become a shorthand for the
area in cities where homelessness gets
pushed to the margins the most infamous
case can be found in LA where the city
has historically tried to contain the
majority of its homeless shelters
services and people today there are more
than 2,000 people living on the streets
in an area that's less than half a
square mile it's become the site for
some of the most comprehensive services
in the county but it's also known as a
dangerous place especially for women
it's really isolated under snow but you
guys need security at Burrell go Oh
Rochelle you guys need security on Skid
Row
evil trifling and scary and it's very
dangerous darling like it's very scary
here despite this reputation Skid Row is
also the site of the only shelter in the
city that refuses to turn away women
Union rescue mission we refuse to weep
ladies out on the street they feel like
they've escaped from a war zone to meet
the overwhelming demand URM blows up
hundreds of mattresses and puts them
anywhere they can on any given night
three to four hundred women find shelter
here but it's just a drop in the bucket
what happens if this continues and there
isn't a massive intervention I already
think we're past the tipping point the
other day I got a call there was a 26
year old woman who ran into our building
naked after being beaten and raped
that is a FEMA like Red Cross like
disaster and it's not just on Skid Row
it's everywhere in LA
in the midst of this disaster one woman
is reaching out wanna each measure one
age Shirley rains single-handedly
started Beauty to the streets a
volunteer run project that provides
home-cooked meals
makeup and more I don't think I can end
homelessness I think it's a gangrene
situation right now we're trying to put
a bandaid on a gunshot wound she comes
to skid row
every Saturday along with a few friends
the fighters for the world is a biker
club that offered to come out and
support Shirley Skid Row it's like all
right we don't care what happens there
keep everybody in one area as long as it
stays there so we decided to come down
and lend our aid to make sure they're
safe yeah I don't think I've seen a
single police officer since I actually
got down here right no we haven't either
so it seems like you guys are sort of
helping to pick up the slack
whatever the powers that be however
they're working out their money I don't
think it trinkles down here cause they
don't see it it's not a don't come down
there that's right
it's very important to to put something
on and see something other than what
you're going through it's gonna get warm
in a second to find okay
it's nail polish - this could be any of
us out here I think that's the biggest
thing people need to understand there
are real life stories on here there's
real life drama down here
this could be you
I did the whole stay-at-home-mom thing I
never imagined that this happened to me
hidden right by them Michelle Finnell is
a 37 year old mother of four this is the
best family photo whose world was turned
upside down when she had to flee an
abusive boyfriend I wasn't really bad
domestic violence situation my abuser
was trying to kill me I had to leave my
apartment I became homeless
there was really no resources for me and
my children my children went to go stay
with different family members after
three years on the streets Michelle
finally got housing but the only option
available to her was a single room
occupancy unit it means that she still
has to be apart from her kids except for
the occasional visit what is it like not
having your children living with you it
is so hard I have to be strong for my
children and make sure we get back in so
where we want us where as a family I'm
gonna stay here for a while till I'm
able to save up and transition to
something else just of the money so live
in a regular apartment it's kind of like
incense
Michelle's case is an increasingly
common one the lack of housing options
and support makes it easy to get knocked
off your feet an incredibly hard to get
back up we have a responsibility as a
community to care for those who are in
this crisis we're not accepting people
who've experienced homelessness as our
neighbors
but not everyone feels the same way
hundreds of people many who live and
work in Koreatown raised their voices in
protests today homeless housing has
proven to be a hot-button issue in
Sherman Oaks not in my backyard ISM is
the biggest barrier to any success of
helping people off the streets as the
homelessness crisis grows so does the
backlash
some residents fearing for their
personal safety and property are pushing
back against homeless services and
shelters in their neighborhoods Venice
is the site of some of the most vocal
not in my backyard or NIMBY opposition
what has become one of the most
expensive beachfront neighborhoods in
Los Angeles now fears it's being overrun
by outsiders
[Music]
evening everybody
we're here in Venice at a neighborhood
council meeting to learn about a newly
proposed housing plan for the homeless
and as you can see it we could walk away
from homelessness that would not solve
homelessness this is a decision between
whether we keep people on the streets or
whether we take them off the streets I
think that's an easy decision thank you
I have heard the real and genuine fear
of women living on our streets in the
encampments who are afraid of being
beaten or being raped if we do not do
this
in Venice the one thing I can guarantee
you is that the status quo will continue
and the problem will continue to get
worse we're gonna go to questions from
the audience my name is windy Lockett
I'm from Venice and I'm homeless what do
you intend to do to ensure that we don't
but we'll have encampments and bridge
housing and we're just one big homeless
community we could take that same amount
of money and put somewhere else where we
would actually get these people the
homes they so desperately need what is
so complicated about that I am in favor
of homeless housing but I am not in
favor of containment policies what
you're doing I believe is encouraging
more weakness and I want to know how
you're gonna strengthen people to get
out of homelessness you need to disperse
the problem that's what happens when
there's a riot you disperse it that's
you're not thinking in those terms I
don't understand why you're not because
I'll tell you what cuz because it's no
longer just in one place or another it
is everywhere in the city regardless of
the NIMBY movements intentions it stalls
progress hijacking the conversation of
how to solve homelessness and making it
about who should have to deal with it I
wanted to know what the mayor had to say
do residents even wealthy ones have a
right to fight we're a shelter is going
in a neighborhood it's literally the
most complicated issue I think I've ever
dealt with a never will deal with in
public policy because it has so many
different elements and each person is
different I think all of us have a
responsibility to solve homelessness
it's about getting to know one person on
the street figuring out what her story
is and figuring out what is that
combination lock that we have to crack
open to make sure she can get back you
know off the street and on
dreams so the color she talked about
have one it's fine
how does that feel quick what would you
say to someone who argues that hair and
makeup shouldn't be a primary focus with
the homeless what I want to do is just
restore dignity just make them feel
important and make them feel beautiful
and I'll be cooking with fire all the
women that I take care of right now
I took care of them with food and water
and I didn't really get to know them
that well until I started giving makeup
and doing hair it's like the beauty
salon they open up when they're in the
chair I'm writing I'm still doing it
after being treated like I'm less than
human for being broke you know I feel
like the world needs a reminder you
stand a mission over there baby yeah I
got to stay there for three weeks three
weeks how was it in there it's trying to
get house really I would say that we
have to understand these women are not
out here by choice something happened
somewhere along the line they were
broken somewhere along the line they
were damaged whatever broke them and put
them on the street we need to start with
that it's been about three years we have
fleeing from my abuser and me actually
finding housing living in my own place
I'm able to figure out my game plan
because if I didn't have this apartment
I wouldn't be able to go out there and
worry about a career you're not wasting
any time okay
I can't afford to have my children my
babies they keep me motivated it's
already lift me how did it feel when you
first side down and truly was washing
your hair it's helping out a lot
before a place is something I was
looking up to party
falesha it looks so good what do you
think every one of the missions gonna
say he'll be like wow how are you learn
I think it's pretty awesome and how you
look everybody he's still a pretty great
Alysha transformed before my eyes and it
wasn't just the shampoo in color
Shirley's kind words and compassion made
Alisha glow they deserve kindness they
deserve food they deserve love they
deserve respect
you're a noxious situation on the street
you're not the tent that you sleep in
open your eyes it's clear that
homelessness is an incredibly complex
problem and solving it here in Los
Angeles and all across the country will
take time and resources but just as
vital is recognizing that behind every
struggle is a story it's something that
we can all do that costs nothing and can
make a difference now
[Music]
thanks for watching refinery29 for more
videos like this click here and to
subscribe click here