The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority gathered volunteers, from UCLA students and faculty to Westwood Village Ambassadors, to conduct the annual Westwood Homeless Count on Feb. 20.
The homeless count – an annual point-in-time census to determine the estimated population of people experiencing homelessness in the city of LA – saw volunteer turnout from organizations such as Friends of Westwood Library, the Westwood Community Council, the Westwood Neighborhood Council and the North Westwood Neighborhood Council. Westwood businesses such as Alfred Coffee, California Pizza Kitchen and Jersey Mike’s Subs also donated food for the event.
The annual count is a visual tally gathering data for LAHSA to understand where services are most needed in LA.
The event began with volunteers and organizers gathering in a room at the Westwood Presbyterian Church. Volunteers collected data through the ArcGIS QuickCapture app and were assigned to specific areas across Westwood.
Volunteers ranged from first-year UCLA students to 50th-year community veterans.
“We appreciate everybody, and we make it a very energetic and meaningful experience,” said Steve Sann, chair of the Westwood Community Council.
Felicia Marie Knaul – a health economist at UCLA – took part in the count and said in a speech that she saw it as an opportunity to connect with the Westwood community after recently moving to LA with her spouse, Chancellor Julio Frenk.
“There could be no better way for me to think about becoming part of a community that I and our family are thrilled to now call home than to be able to accompany this incredible diverse group that represents so many parts of this community,” she said in her speech.
Knaul, a professor of medicine, added that policies affecting people experiencing homelessness should be based on evidence to effectively and positively impact the community. The count was an opportunity for students to learn about gathering evidence and understanding how to use it to support others, she said.
“We shouldn’t force anyone to live in a certain kind of a way, but we also should ensure that they don’t have to live in a way they don’t have to live in,” Knaul said in a separate interview.
David Tunnell, a Westwood Village ambassador who volunteered at the count for the first time, said more could be done in Westwood to help people experiencing homelessness.
Tunnell said it is important to create spaces specifically for the day-to-day needs of people experiencing homelessness, especially as there can be overcrowding in social service buildings that makes it difficult for people to receive the resources they need.
Paul Yoder, a manager for the Levering Arms apartments, said the count helps the city gain an accurate understanding of homelessness statistics that reflect the reality of what is happening in the community, he said.
Yoder added that he believes the number of people experiencing homelessness has increased because of a lack of affordable housing. With this year being his second volunteering for the count, he said he wants to see an increase in effort toward addressing the root causes of homelessness.
Tori Prudhomme-Yurochko, the Westwood Village Ambassador Program operations manager, said the count has made it easier for her outreach officer to contact the LA County Department of Mental Health or LAHSA to better understand homelessness in the Village and the resources needed to support people experiencing it.
[Related: Westwood Village Ambassadors manage safety, cleanliness for community members]
Prudhomme-Yurochko added that creating affordable housing from unused buildings such as old office spaces can aid community members experiencing homelessness and also be a means to provide mental health facilities for those who need them.
Tunnell said although addressing homelessness has been a long-term effort in Westwood and the greater LA area, the count is a step toward better support for people experiencing homelessness.
“We’re making strides,” Tunnell said. “What’s happening today, all the people that showed up today – that is a step towards change.”
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