Foreclosure crisis still looms large in South Los Angeles

November 23, 2010 By 1 Comment


imageWhen Operation Hope started its mortgage crisis hotline in 2008, counselors logged more than 7,000 calls within the first 24 hours.

“Last year alone we received 49,000 calls for assistance,” said Jason Yancey, Director of Hope Coalition America at Operation Hope. “Our numbers are increasing. People still need help. It’s not going anywhere any time soon.”

Listen to the interview with Jason Yancey here.

The subprime mortgage crisis affected some communities more than others, says Yancey. As a former loan officer, Yancey says he witnessed first hand that predatory lending practices were trending along racial lines.

“I would see a disproportionate amount of African Americans and Latinos being given higher interest rates and being charged higher fees for the same type of loans their Caucasian or Asian counterparts were getting,” said Yancey.

In October 2010, one in every 316 housing units in Los Angeles received a foreclosure filing, according to data from Realty Trac Inc. In South Los Angeles, the number of foreclosures was double the average for the county, with one in every 105 houses being foreclosed upon in the Florence neighborhood.

New foreclosures in Los Angeles by zip code in October 2010:
image

“Those communities have a history of being under-served,” said Yancey. “There isn’t the option for a lot of financial literacy. There aren’t a lot of businesses serving those areas. So, unfortunately, people living in those communities don’t have a lot of options to get a home loan or to go to a corner bank to open a checking account. It’s a lot of check cashing places instead of banks in those communities. I would like to see a lot more businesses go to offer their services within these under-served communities that have been neglected.”

The mortgage crisis hotline offers “guidance and assistance” to homeowners facing foreclosure. Counselors explain legal documents and jargon, and step in on behalf of the homeowner to negotiate loan modifications with banks.

“It helps to have an advocate in anything you do in life,” said Yancey. “But specifically for this —someone with a real estate background who does this 8 hours a day and [has] relationships directly within the lenders that they’re calling.”

Listen to Jason Yancey:

To curb predatory lending, the need for more financial literacy is imperative, according to Yancey, especially in schools.

“There isn’t a lot of financial literacy that’s taught,” said Yancey. “The banks definitely played a huge part because it was foreseeable, this crisis. But the homeowner isn’t completely free. You should educate yourself.”

Without more support and outreach for under-served communities, Yancey says the number of foreclosures in Los Angeles will continue to swell.

“I would love to see it go away as soon as possible, but I don’t think it’s going to go away any time within the next three years,” said Yancey. “And that’s optimistic.”

Photo courtesy of Flickr user respres.

Filed Under: Business Tagged With: , , , , ,

Inglewood expands free trolley service

November 22, 2010 By Leave a Comment


imageInglewood residents were relieved on Monday when the city’s free trolley service added an additional seven daily stops throughout the city. This expansion follows a year-long protest by city residents to keep the service from being eliminated by budget cuts.

The I-Line Trolley Route was approved for termination one year ago, due to required expense cuts. Since Sept. 2009 residents of Inglewood have petitioned to both continue the service and add new stops at shopping areas.

“This new trolley route took a lot of work to bring about,” said Mavis Pilar, Inglewood resident and frequent user of the I-Line transportation service. “Last year the city wanted to remove it altogether, but they don’t realize the number of people in this city that get around by this free transportation.”

The current annual cost of the program is $107,000, according to the city’s Finance Department. About $65,000 of the expense is covered by grant funds, said Sabrina Barnes, the Parks, Recreation and Community Services director.

Six stops were eliminated from the old route because “no one used them,” said Inglewood City Councilman Eloy Morales, Jr. in an interview. “Now, I hope we can continue to offset the costs and encourage as much ridership as possible.”

After city staff conducted surveys, studied proposed routes and received recommendations from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), City transportation and GIS engineers, the City Council approved the continuation of the I-Line Trolley Route, according to Sabrina Barnes, The Inglewood City Council approved the motion to keep and expand the shuttle on Aug. 10.

The route’s new configuration takes approximately one hour. It includes seven new stops, including one in the business district on Century and Crenshaw, and on Pincay Drive to accommodate Carlton Square and Briarwood. Other stops include Prairie and Hardy, Century and Doty, Century and Club, Century and Village, Crenshaw and Hardy, and 90th and West Carlton.

“We basically let them know that they need to cut funds from other places, and not from our daily lives and our paychecks. Because without that service, a lot of us would be stranded. How do they think we get to work?” Pilar said.

“I am glad that we did the surveys,” said Morales. “They showed that I-Trolley really works.”

The I-Line Trolley Shoppers Shuttle Service began in 1986, providing free transportation for all ages on a fixed route that connected shopping areas, public service agencies, the Inglewood Senior Center, five senior housing complexes, and connection points to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) bus service. Since its beginning the length of the route has been modified five times in response to citizen petitions.

The Service is funded by City Proposition C funds and Proposition A Incentive grants from the MTA. These funds are purposed for parks, recreation and community services, senior transportation, contract services and general transportation.

Since the I-Line is granted by the MTA, the association’s staff has been involved in setting up data collection and reporting systems to evaluate the new route. They have also worked with the Public Works Department in acquiring and installing new signs, and producing road work needed to accommodate the new stops.

A statement released by the Inglewood Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department estimated a cost of $1,500 for new signs. This is the only major additional expense created by the new I-Line Trolley Service route.

Free Trolley service operates Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to noon, and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Each loop begins and ends at the Inglewood Senior Center, located at Vincent Park, 330 Centinela Avenue. Signs displaying the number to the trolley dispatch office are posted at the stops to offer easy access to information on the trolley’s location.

Filed Under: Politics Tagged With: , , , ,

Union Rescue Mission serves thousands at Thanksgiving feast

November 21, 2010 By 1 Comment


The Rev. Andy Bales speaks about the Thanksgiving Celebration at the Union Rescue Mission.

When asked what brought him to the Union Rescue Mission on Skid Row, the Rev. Andy Bales recalled a sermon he gave 24 years ago.

“I preached a sermon about how important it is to feed people who are hungry and not turn your back on people who are hungry,” said Bales. “If you turn your back on people who are hungry, it’s like turning your back on God himself.

“And I preached that six times, and then on a weekend, I had a man ask me for my lunch and I turned him down. I realized that I was not practicing what I preached.”

So, in the spirit of “practicing what he preached,” Bales went to work at a downtown rescue mission, ultimately ending up at the Union Rescue Mission on San Pedro Street.

imageAnd on Saturday afternoon, Bales joined 300 volunteers in providing a Thanksgiving meal to an estimated 3,500 of Skid Row’s hungry.

The mission’s Thanksgiving Celebration, co-sponsored by the daytime drama The Bold and the Beautiful, is its largest food event of the year.

Among event volunteers were cast members from The Bold and the Beautiful, Los Angeles City Councilwoman Jan Perry and Paris Hilton, who Public Relations Specialist Kitty Davis-Walker said often volunteers at the Union Rescue Mission.

Donald Morris, who attended the event, said that the lines weaving up San Pedro Street were so long that he left and came back.

Gobbling down a piece of pumpkin pie next to Morris, Daljit Singh added, “I’ve enjoyed the food, enjoyed the lunch.”

While dishes ranged from stuffing to greens to macaroni and cheese, the highlight of the meal were 160 turkeys, cooked in 15 turkey fryers between the hours of 1 and 11 a.m.

“We’re trying to welcome everyone who’s on Skid Row, who’s experiencing homelessness and welcome them to our house. We welcome them to our house and welcome them to sit down and have a nice Thanksgiving Dinner,” said Bales.

imageThis year’s celebration differed from past ones in its location. Bales said it is usually held on San Pedro Street, but due to inclement weather, the celebration was moved inside.

“Having to do it inside made us live a little close and see each other a little closer, and so hopefully it built some community today,” he said.

Bales also hopes that the Thanksgiving Celebration will spread awareness about the programs at the Union Rescue Mission. The mission houses men, women and children and offers long-term rehabilitation programs.

The number of people on the streets of Skid Row has decreased from 2,000 to 750, said Bales. But he believes reaching out to the remaining 750 will be a greater challenge.

“They are reluctant to come into a mission. They are suffering physically and mentally and often battling addiction. And so, they need a special way to reach out to them,” said Bales.

For that reason, the mission offers cold water on hot days and extra beds during the winter. It has also partnered with the Chamber of Commerce and the United Way in advocating for the creation of more supportive permanent housing.

And at the Thanksgiving Celebration, it gave the residents of Skid Row a place to escape the rain, grab a meal and maybe more.

“Sometimes, it becomes more than a meal,” said Bales. “They may decide to make a change, come in and enroll in one of our programs and give life one more try.”

Filed Under: Community, Featured Tagged With: , , , ,

Los Angeles Police Department argues nonprofits are better than handouts on Skid Row

November 18, 2010 By Leave a Comment


Listen to the audio story:

—–

Los Angeles City Councilmember Jan Perry and members of the Los Angeles Police Department met Thursday at the Midnight Mission Homeless Shelter to raise awareness about how to channel efforts and resources to better help the homeless community. Perry recommended that people who want to give should donate through reputable organizations, like the Midnight Mission, the Union Rescue Mission and the Los Angeles Mission, rather than dropping off supplies directly onto Skid Row.

“We’re encouraging people and groups who want to help the homeless to partner with local non-profits in Central City East to ensure that donations are distributed in a manner that is safe, healthy and that will have the greatest impact,” Perry sad.

Orlando Ward, the program director at the Midnight Mission, said essential supplies in homeless shelters like his are distributed to hundreds of people in the community. Ward said this helps more people than just the few that might receive food and clothing on the street in the form of a handout.

“Tossing commodities out of the back of a truck is okay for cattle but not for people,” Ward said. “This is not to say the community isn’t welcome, absolutely not. There is a better way to do it…without the unintended consequences that happen when you treat people with less than the dignity they deserve.”

LAPD Captain Todd Chamberlain said that some of those unintended consequences can lead to desperate community members fighting over the resources handed out to them or dropped off on the streets.

“When people come and open the back of their truck up and throw out some clothing and pass out some sandwiches, that’s good for the short term,” Chamberlain said. “But over the long term we find that there is a lot of trash and garbage…there’s crime from the people from in and around the area who want certain things, and once those people leave, there’s a kind of plight left behind in that.”

Chamberlain said those who volunteer their time or resources with non-profits like the Midnight Mission not only help those who are homeless in the short term, but they can help the homeless begin to live more fulfilling lives in supporting organizations that provide rehabilitation, medical and job training services.

Filed Under: Community Tagged With: , , , ,

Central Avenue Farmer’s Market offers flu shots

November 18, 2010 By 2 Comments


Listen to the audio story:

—–

Kaitlin Parker, Laurel Galanter and Stephanie Sherman contributed to this report.

It is that time of year again. No, not Thanksgiving, we’re talking about flu season. This morning at the Central Avenue Farmer’s Market, a group called the Immunize Los Angeles Families Coalition offered free flu shots for community members. The line for shots started to form before the nurses even arrived.

About 20 men and women, many of them pushing strollers or holding young children, gathered around a folding table to begin filling out immunization forms. South Los Angeles resident was one of the first in line. She was here hoping to protect her health and was pleased that the flu shot was free.

South Los Angeles resident: We need the flu shot. Now, we don’t have no job, and it’s hard to pay for the flu shot.

She has also worried about the health of her son.

South Los Angeles resident: And I have to give him the flu shot, too, because I don’t want him to get worse. Now, it’s not too bad because it’s cold, but maybe later, it’s going to be very cold.

Flu season can last from as early as October to late May.

Filed Under: Community Tagged With: , , ,

Prescription discount program debuts in Los Angeles

November 18, 2010 By Leave a Comment


Listen to the audio story:

—–

Councilman Ed Reyes debuted a prescription discount card at the St. Barnabas Senior Center in Westlake Thursday. The simple white and blue card could save Angelenos up to 20 percent off of their regular prescriptions. The card is free, does not require any paperwork and is available to anyone.

“With this card, people of any age, residency, status or level of health care coverage will be able to secure a 20 percent discount on any prescription medications,” Reyes said.

But the discount card seems a little too good to be true. Here is how it works: If one of your medications is already covered by your insurance, the card will not apply. It only works toward medication that is not covered.

A pharmacist at the CVS pharmacy on Cesar Chavez Boulevard said she fills about 200 prescriptions a day. She declined to give her name, but she said about 50 percent of the daily prescriptions she fills are covered. However, cosmetic prescriptions like acne medication and face creams usually are not. That is where the card could come in handy. CVS Caremark distributes the card.

Another catch is not all pharmacies will accept it. Pharmacies like Rite Aid and Walgreens must choose to participate in the program. So who foots the bill? The pharmacies do.

Brad Stone, who represents CVS Caremark, explains why nine out of 10 retail pharmacies would absorb the costs.

“It’s a good customer loyalty program, drives traffic in their stores, but [the pharmacies] is where the discount comes from,” he said.

The discount card is already used in places like Chicago, Orlando and Atlanta. Los Angeles residents will be able to pick up the card at most community centers and city district offices.

Filed Under: Community Tagged With: , , , ,

New legislation means a fair break for low-wage workers

November 18, 2010 By Leave a Comment


Listen to the audio story:

—–

Blanca Moran’s eyes filled with tears. It was hard to look back on her years as a janitor with the cleaning company KBM. She spoke through a translator.

“She worked from 7 p.m to 6 a.m. in the morning. She didn’t get any rest breaks, no lunch period, she actually became sick with anemia because she didn’t have a time to eat.”

Today, Moran joined other janitors, taxi drivers, car washers and day laborers on the steps of City Hall to stand up for low-wage workers who are not getting paid enough for their work. Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles report 654,000 low-wage workers lose more than $26 million each week in Los Angeles through unfair labor practices.

Businesses guilty of worker exploitation are not just hurting poor families, said UCLA’s Kent Wong.

“It means that they’re getting an unfair advantage over other businesses that are doing the right thing and are honoring labor laws and paying their workers a living wage,” Wong added.

Hope for workers comes in the form of a city council ordinance that is being drafted now and is expected to pass early next year. The ordinance would allow laborers to report abuse to police and the city attorney and would make it a crime to cheat workers.

Councilmember Richard Alarcon is championing the new regulation.

“It’s not okay to cheat people out of their wages, it’s just like stealing,” Alarcon said.

In a city with a high foreign population, it is easier to get away with abuse because immigrants do not always know their rights. Car washes in particular have a bad track record in this city, said organizer Isabel Rojas.

“People are told to show up like at 8 in the morning, and they don’t start getting paid until the first cars roll in, so sometimes that means that they don’t get clocked in until like 11 or 12,” Rojas said. “On days that they get sent home early because there’s no work, they don’t get paid for that waiting time.”

The Clean Car Wash Campaign has helped workers take matters into their own hands. At the Wilshire Car Wash, workers were fired for fighting for better treatment, but with the campaign’s help, they got their jobs back.

Even before the new ordinance becomes a law, Alarcon and labor groups are urging businesses to start playing fair on their own. Stealing wages increases levels of poverty and in the end hurts us all, Alarcon said.

Filed Under: Business Tagged With: , , , ,

Compton beauty queen speaks out for her community

November 18, 2010 By Leave a Comment


Listen to the audio story:

—–

Read the audio script:

LeTania Kirkland: You’re hoping to represent Compton as Miss California USA. What made you decide to represent in this way?

Shanice McKinley: Even since high school, I always wanted to come back to my community and be a leader and a role model, because a lot of our youth, we don’t have that. They don’t have many people to look up to and say, ‘They did something amazing.’ When I got offered that opportunity, I said, ‘This is the perfect way to get the message out. Everyone knows about Miss California.’

Kirkland: Would you have ever considered being part of a beauty competition before this opportunity?

McKinley: No, I actually wouldn’t. I would’ve never imagined so much would come out of this beauty pageant. I thought that it would get some attention as far as getting the message out. I didn’t know it would inspire so many people. I had people cry while I’m there giving my vision. I had people shouting out their cars, so many kids giving me hugs and parents telling me thank you.

Kirkland: And you call yourself ‘Miss Birthing a New Compton,’ the city’s new motto. Why did you decide upon that?

McKinley: I mean, Compton has really changed so much and the old brand of Compton… Compton has a very strong brand. You can go to Africa, and they’d probably know about Compton. The things that are associated with that brand are so negative, and I love the city’s slogan, ‘Birthing a New Compton,’ and that’s the message that I wanted to get out to the people, that this is not the same Compton anymore. We have changed so much, so I thought that would actually be the perfect slogan, so when people hear Compton, they’ll have a different taste in their mouth.

Kirkland: How do you plan on bringing your own success, past and future, back to the community?

McKinley: My whole envision is this youth center. I’m actually starting a freelance marketing business right after this pageant, and with the profits I get, I would donate 10 percent of it to building this youth center. The vision of the youth center is that they will be able to operate as a resource center to connect youth to their dreams, like financial aid, SAT scores, help them prepare for becoming a business owner or doctor. We’ll help them step by step to get those met.

Kirkland: The competition is this weekend. Are you nervous?

McKinley: Oh yeah. I’m nervous, I feel so pressured. But this is what I’ve been working for. These three months, this is why I’ve been talking to people, this is why I’ve been sharing my vision.

Filed Under: Community Tagged With: , , , ,

Free MTA trips for Los Angeles students

November 18, 2010 By 3 Comments


Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced a new policy today that would allow students in Los Angeles County to ride MTA transit for free during the day.

“Schools throughout Los Angeles County are struggling with severe budget challenges, and cutting field trip transportation means less opportunity for students to take advantage of museums, programs, and events outside of school buildings,” Mayor Villaraigosa said, as quoted in a press release. “This is especially true for low income students whose families do not have the resources for alternative transportation.”

According to a press release from the Mayor’s office, the MTA “will not suffer an increase in operating costs because service is already running.” No revenue would be lost because “students would not otherwise be riding transit during school hours without this policy.”

Funding transportation for school field trips has been a constant impediment, say some L.A. teachers, especially during budget cuts.

“Our students are missing out on educational experiences because we have no funds to bus them on field trips. Access to Metro rail and buses will open a world of opportunities for learning beyond the classroom,” said Santee teacher Trebor Jacquez, as quoted in the press release.

According to Villaraigosa, MTA buses and trains have unused capacity during school hours, making free transit for students a “win-win” policy for the MTA.

The proposal will be put to the MTA Board at its meeting on Dec. 9, with plans to implement the system by the end of January 2011.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: , , , ,
«Previous Page
Next Page»