South LA homeless youth need homes, not shelter



Demonque Williams at Sanctuary of Hope. | Photo by Anna-Cat Brigida

Demonque Williams at Sanctuary of Hope. | Photo by Anna-Cat Brigida

Demonque Williams exited the foster care system at age 18 in 2010 with nowhere to go and no one to turn to. Now 22, he still does not have a stable home. On a good day, he sleeps in a shelter or uses a hotel voucher. Most nights he sleeps on the street.

“I need emotional help,” Williams said sitting on the couch at Sanctuary of Hope, a program for homeless youth in South L.A. “I need somebody to talk to. I need to keep mentally strong out there. I need encouragement.”

Williams has found some support through Sanctuary of Hope, a South L.A. organization that provides transitional housing and assistance to homeless youth. As part of the South L.A. Transition Age Youth and Foster Care Collaborative, it aims to serve young adults among South L.A.’s homeless population.

South L.A has the largest homeless population in the city with more than 11,000 recorded according to an estimate by the 2013 L.A. Homeless Count. More than 2,000 of these individuals are under the age of 24.

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“Pamper Me Day” comes to South LA



By Meghan Coyle | Annenberg Radio News

Hair stylist Aja Marie Chaff gives back to the community by cutting hair on Pamper Me Day. | Photo by Mirian Fuentes

Hair stylist Aja Marie Chaff gives back to the community by cutting hair on Pamper Me Day. | Photo by Mirian Fuentes

Homeless men and women relaxed for a spa day at Awesome Hair Salon in South L.A. on Monday Feb. 23. The salon provided free manicures, facials and haircuts to homeless individuals and those living in transitional housing for the second annual “Pamper Me Day”.

The event hoped to give these men and women a boost of confidence so they can see themselves in a new way.

Hairstylists such as Aja Marie Chaff spent time with participants to get a sense of their own individual style. Understanding who these people are and what they are looking for helps gives the customers a better experience, according to Chaff.

Martina Tegalo hasn’t had her hair cut since she attended the event last year.

“I always wait every year for this event because it’s a really special event,” she said.

Sheila Thorne, founder and CEO of the Women of Color Entrepreneur Directory, organized the event. The event is her way of paying it forward to thank all those that helped her when she was homeless.

Thorne estimates Awesome Hair Salon served 25 customers during the event. The salon hopes to make the event a regular occurrence.

Volunteers tally South LA’s homeless, counting one by one



homeless count feature image

Homeless Count volunteers show their certificates of completion. | Stephanie Monte

Instead of the usual dinner and birthday cake, Jacquelyn Dupont-Walker spent her birthday in a more altruistic way: She gathered a group of family and friends to volunteer for the biennial Homeless Count on Thursday night. The “Happy Birthday Jackie” group joined nearly 100 volunteers at Holman United Methodist Church, one of South L.A.’s deployment sites for the count. This South L.A. contingent represented a fraction of the 6,000 volunteers who gathered data on the city’s homeless population over three days under the supervision of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.

“We want to be a part of the 2015 revived mission to eliminate homelessness,” Dupont-Walker said. “We think this is a part of it.”

L.A.’s Homeless Count is the nation’s largest program taking a headcount of people living on the streets. L.A.’s homeless population is second in size only to the homeless population of New York City.

Homelessness in South L.A. is more common than any other part of the county. The 2013 Homeless Count tallied more than 11,000 homeless people in South L.A. Six of the seven other districts counted a significantly smaller homeless population, with estimates ranging from 2,500 homeless to 8,000. Service Planning Area 4, Metro Los Angeles including Skid Row, with about 10,500 homeless individuals was the only area with an estimate similar to South L.A.’s Area 6. [Read more…]

No longer homeless, chef brings pastries to Skid Row



From left to right: LaToya Alvarez, Latrina Wilcher, and Zachary Greenblott volunteer their fine cooking skills for a unique audience. |Anna-Cat Brigida

From left to right: LaToya Alvarez, Latrina Wilcher, and Zachary Greenblott volunteer their fine cooking skills for a unique audience. | Anna-Cat Brigida

Once a month Latrina Wilcher goes to Skid Row to hand out slices of cake and pie in heart-shaped boxes. Her goal is to help the homeless people in Los Angeles “one pastry at a time.”

“These treats are not the healthiest in the world, but it costs money to get a cupcake or cookie,” said Wilcher, a South L.A. native. “So I thought, ‘OK, I’m going to give them something that would take them a lot to get somewhere else.” [Read more…]

Making rent just got harder



By Priyanka Deo | Neon Tommy Staff Reporter

Experts David Kim (center) and Dwight Jaffee (right) debate on housing with Richard Green moderating | Priyanka Deo/NeonTommy

Experts David Kim (center) and Dwight Jaffee (right) debate on housing with Richard Green moderating | Priyanka Deo/NeonTommy

Already finding rent expensive? Bad news: Rates are expected to keep increasing.  

Tenants already pay high rents in Los Angeles and have trouble finding affordable housing. In fact, a University of California Los Angeles  study marked our city as the nation’s most unaffordable rental market in 2014. The same study discovered that on average, renters spend just about half of their annual income on rent, when 30 percent is deemed prudent. [Read more…]

South LA collaborative fights homelessness



Volunteers collect pledge ballots from attendees.

Volunteers collected pledge ballots from attendees. | Anna-Cat Brigida

There are more than 8500 homeless young people in Los Angeles County.  One of the highest concentrations of homeless under the age of 24 is South L.A. The South L.A. Homeless Transition Age Youth plans to take these kids off the streets and improve their lives.

 This story originally aired on Annenberg Radio News.

Future of Crenshaw District’s Marlton Square still looks uncertain



An old mural stands out from the rest of Marlton Square. | Daniel Carr- Crawford

An old mural stands out at Marlton Square. See more photos on Flickr. | Daniel Carr-Crawford

Many driving through the Crenshaw district might head straight for the massive Baldwin Hills Mall — or simply pass through on their way to other parts of Los Angeles.

Few notice the massive, weed-filled lot that is Marlton Square, or know about its long history.

Learn more in an audio story from Annenberg Radio News:

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Nonprofit Spotlight: Strategic Actions for a Just Economy (SAJE)



Rally Hosted by SAJE | Photo Courtesy of SAJE Flickr

Rally Hosted by SAJE | Photo Courtesy of SAJE Flickr

Intersection’s Nonprofit Spotlight series profiles South L.A. organizations that are propelling positive change in South L.A.

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South LA welcomes new retail center



District Square | Photo Credit: KGTY

District Square | Photo Credit: KGTY

A new 300,000 square-foot retail center is set to hit the Crenshaw District and will replace businesses that have been in the community for decades.

The project, titled District Square, is set to replace a Rite Aid, Ralph’s and Cleaners, which have been community staples for over a decade. The two-story center will bring a host of new retailers to the Crenshaw District, which spans over five miles of South Los Angeles. It is expected to include a Target, Ross, Marshall’s and leasing space for other vendors and retailers.

The project manager for engineering company KGTY couldn’t comment on the project’s timeline or budget, but the website confirms that its client, The Charles Company, has designed the location to include both upper and lower level parking with access to retail stores on all levels. Although a deadline for the project’s completion is unknown, community members and leaders have expressed excitement about a brand-new center coming to the dilapidated neighborhood. [Read more…]

Not your typical office building



articleimageOn the corner of Adams Boulevard and Gramercy Place sits a three-story, red brick Colonial Revival style building. Its six, strong, white columns and perfectly manicured lawn separate it from many of the other apartment buildings surrounding the area.

To an unknowing passer-by, the building may not seem to belong in the neighborhood. However, most residents know it as a historical and cultural monument and the current workplace of the LA84 Foundation, a nonprofit organization that funds youth sports programs in Southern California as the legacy of the 1984 Olympic Games. [Read more…]