Central City Association Releases Downtown Community's Plan to Help the Homeless.

Business/City Editors

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 18, 2002

The Central City Association today released a comprehensive plan to improve the quality of life in Downtown Los Angeles. The report, titled "Downtown's Human Tragedy: It's Not Acceptable Anymore" is a public health and safety plan for the city's most important center.

Specifically, CCA's plan:

-- Proposes a 14-point comprehensive plan that will help move people off the street and into a safe and clean environment, while helping to protect the health and safety of those who live, work and visit Downtown Los Angeles.

-- Identifies the "homeless" community's several different populations each of which have very special needs, including the Temporary Homeless, the Service Resistant Addicted (SRAs), and the Mentally Ill.

-- Outlines the public health and safety crisis that has been created by a system that has allowed people to live on the streets in squalor.

"Our message is that as a privileged and civilized society we can not allow our fellow human beings to live on the streets in squalor, while encouraging others to abandon public streets to poverty, drugs, crime, and disease." said Carol Schatz, President and CEO of CCA. "We believe that compassion means helping people even if they don't seek help." Schatz added.

CCA's Public Safety, Health and Homelessness Committee met with key city and county officials as it crafted the plan over the past several months. CCA members strongly believe that the business community has an obligation to address a crisis that affects our entire community. "Our current laws do not adequately address the different needs of the varying populations that we generally refer to as homeless," stated Schatz. The CCA Plan includes several specific legislative and policy changes designed to help those in need to get assistance and protect the public health and safety:

-- Establish an anti-encampment ordinance in conjunction with

additional shelter beds and counseling services

-- Strengthen state laws to allow intervention on behalf of the

mentally ill.

-- Prohibit urination and defecation on city streets in

conjunction with public toilet rollout.

-- Stop policy of releasing parolees and prisoners in one area.

-- Create a Community Court for Downtown to address non-violent

crime.

-- Enhance police presence with a Downtown Public Safety and

Crime Patrol.

CCA's Plan addresses the public health and safety issues manifest in the homeless community, where studies estimate that 26% of homeless adults have acute infectious conditions, and where criminals often go to "hide." "Street encampments have no sanitation facilities and are a haven for drug use, which attracts drug dealers and other criminals to the area," stated Schatz. "We must not lose sight of the fact that these encampments are located in neighborhoods, where people live and work. While it is up to us as a society to help those living on the street, it is also critical to ensure that all the residents and workers in Downtown live in a safe and clean environment." Schatz added.

CCA is also continuing its long-standing efforts to increase the affordable housing stock in Los Angeles, and will release a housing production plan within a few weeks. CCA's housing strategies will augment its Public Health and Safety Plan. "This plan is not about housing. A housing plan alone will not address homelessness. This plan focuses on people who may be living on the street for reasons beyond a lack of shelter, such as mental illness and addiction." Schatz stated.

Central City Association is a 78-year-old business advocacy organization representing more than 300 businesses, trade associations and non-profits employing over 250,000 people in Los Angeles County. CCA is the leading architect for revitalization in Downtown Los Angeles and is L.A.'s premiere business advocacy leader shaping public policy on a broad range of issues.