---
[ ARCHIVE ](https://www.citywatchla.com/archive)
# Agency Urges Neighborhood Councils to Sign Contracts and Count the Homeless … Seriously?
November 09 2015
Written by General Jeff.
[](https://www.addtoany.com/share)
THE WAY IT LOOKS FROM HERE- Neighborhood Councils are being “asked” to enter into an [agreement](http://www.dlanc.org/sites/dlancd7.localhost/files/HC2016%20NC%20Opt-In%20Downtown%20Los%20Angeles%20%281%29.pdf) with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) to secure their participation as “guaranteed participants” in the upcoming Homeless Count in January 2016.
This “contract” is alarming for a number of reasons:
1\) The mere fact that an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) is needed in the first place says a lot about LAHSA’s desperation and state of mind. Obviously their past efforts have suffered and/or they are greatly concerned that, as in years past, their future efforts won’t produce accurate numbers.
2\) This new wrinkle reveals a state of unease within LAHSA which obviously never foresaw the current explosion of homelessness across the entire city of Los Angeles. That is alarming in its own right because if these are the so-called “experts” and we look to them for answers, then LAHSA must be out-of-touch with reality and doesn’t know what it’s doing.
3\) The fact that LAHSA is not only calling on Neighborhood Councils to join them, but wants to **enter into a legal agreement** with *volunteers.* This could be interpreted as attaching themselves to the NCs so that the blame for ineptness can be passed on to them. Again, very troubling.
After all, if someone wants to volunteer (for any cause), it is usually because of that person has a good heart and wants to offer genuine help. To “encourage” a signed agreement reeks of political underhandedness and no Angeleno should be subjected to this type “obligation” and/or political pressure.
If people sign up to volunteer but later decide later to change their minds, is there a penalty involved? If not, then what is the purpose for the MOU?
LAHSA has administered their Homeless Count (which is widely considered the mother of all Homeless Counts in Los Angeles County) since 2005. In the past, they were conducted once every two years with “an unusually slow” release of the data spread out over the course of that year. So since its inception in 2005, LAHSA has conducted only 6 Homeless Counts total. Hardly a flawless operation.
Over the years, Skid Row community activists have complained that the Homeless Count lacks the necessary sense of urgency to actually help homeless persons and is severely flawed at its core structure. For instance, each bi-annual count happens over a three-day period and doesn’t take into account the homeless persons who are incarcerated during that timeframe. This means funding will not be allocated for services for them or anyone else who hasn’t been counted during the actual count. This has finally led LAHSA to change its effort from bi-annual to annual. But it still isn’t a “solution,” although it is touted by LAHSA officials and others as just that.
What is sad and unfortunate about this and other “causes” is how volunteers do all the work while paid personnel barely do anything but delegate the hard work to unsuspecting, good-hearted helpers.
Now it appears that a verbal offer to volunteer is not good enough.
What will they do next? Sue if a person changes his or her mind or decides to volunteer in another way? Threaten to take away one’s proverbial “next of kin”? Publicly shame any and all NCs who don’t oblige?
It will be interesting to see if LAHSA will “encourage” Mayor Garcetti, the City Council, City Attorney Mike Feuer and the heads of all other City agencies to sign the same MOU given to Neighborhood Councils.
Wow, this is a perfect example of how off-base the so-called “homeless experts” are.
What will LAHSA do if none of the NCs sign their MOU? That is, other than be embarrassed?
This is an example of totally unnecessary bureaucracy at its worse!
*(General Jeff is a homeless activist and leader in Downtown Los Angeles.)* *Edited for* CityWatch *by Linda Abrams.*
-cw
CityWatch
Vol 13 Issue 91
Pub: Nov 10, 2015
{module \[1177\]}
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/107 "LA DWP | Save $4K, Green | Priority Ad")
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/98 "Donna Tryfman - HS1-1")
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/82 "LA DWP #2 (Power Savers)")
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/111 "David DeJute Campaign")
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/97 "Home - LA DWP #2 (Pay Water Bill Help)")
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/112 "Anna Reitano Vertical R. Col")
## Get The News In Your Email Inbox Mondays & Thursdays
Message
---
## Featured CityWatch Stories
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33349-l-a-county-faces-a-government-shake-up)
### [L.A. County Faces a Government Shake-Up](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33349-l-a-county-faces-a-government-shake-up)
WESTSIDE - Currently larger than 40 states in terms of population with roughly 10 million residents, Los Angeles County…
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/voices/33346-before-we-ask-god-to-judge-us-the-jewish-people-must-judge-ourselves)
### [Before We Ask God to Judge Us, the Jewish People Must Judge Ourselves](https://www.citywatchla.com/voices/33346-before-we-ask-god-to-judge-us-the-jewish-people-must-judge-ourselves)
Yom Kippur demands more than personal repentance. At a defining moment for Jews everywhere, it asks whether we have tru…
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/voices/33372-the-greater-israel-delusion-may-undo-israel)
### [The Greater Israel Delusion May Undo Israel](https://www.citywatchla.com/voices/33372-the-greater-israel-delusion-may-undo-israel)
ANNEXATION - The vision of “Greater Israel” draws on maximalist readings of biblical verses, especially Genesis 15:18–2…
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/world-watch/33366-israels-political-map-is-being-redrawn)
### [Israel’s Political Map Is Being Redrawn](https://www.citywatchla.com/world-watch/33366-israels-political-map-is-being-redrawn)
NETANYAHUISM - The next Israeli election may be about something larger than Benjamin Netanyahu. For the first time in a…
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33347-la-stop-the-war-on-cars-they-arent-going-away)
### [LA, Stop the War on Cars. They Aren’t Going Away](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33347-la-stop-the-war-on-cars-they-arent-going-away)
LA TRANSPO - For anyone traversing the San Fernando Valley, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: Los Angeles is sp…
---
## [ ARCHIVE ](https://www.citywatchla.com/archive)
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/archive/15339-early-intervention-and-jobs-are-key-to-stemming-chronic-homelessness-in-los-angeles)### [Early Intervention and Jobs are Key to Stemming Chronic Homelessness in Los Angeles](https://www.citywatchla.com/archive/15339-early-intervention-and-jobs-are-key-to-stemming-chronic-homelessness-in-los-angeles)
### [Tucker Carlson and Gay Rightwinger Blame California Wildfires On Hiring LGBTQ People](https://www.citywatchla.com/archive/18755-tucker-carlson-and-gay-rightwinger-blame-california-wildfires-on-hiring-lgbtq-people)
### [Anti-LGBTQ Veep Just Can’t Stop Talking about Mayor Pete](https://www.citywatchla.com/archive/17690-anti-lgbtq-veep-just-can-t-stop-talking-about-mayor-pete)
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/archive/15316-news-pulse-corrupt-system-reason-for-not-voting-in-2018-majority-wants-more-than-two-parties)### [NEWS PULSE: ‘Corrupt System’ Reason for Not Voting in 2018 … Majority Wants More Than Two Parties](https://www.citywatchla.com/archive/15316-news-pulse-corrupt-system-reason-for-not-voting-in-2018-majority-wants-more-than-two-parties)
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/archive/10245-dead-dog-set-on-fire-sparks-fears-for-strays-in-los-angeles)### [Dead Dog Set on Fire … Sparks Fears for Strays in Los Angeles](https://www.citywatchla.com/archive/10245-dead-dog-set-on-fire-sparks-fears-for-strays-in-los-angeles)