Homelessness and what we can do as a community
“Stranger Danger” is one of the first phrases that we are taught as children, to warn us that our safety may be jeopardized by those we do not know. We learn to fear anyone whose appearance diverges from “normality,” that they must pose a threat and should be avoided at all costs. As children, we automatically accept this as factual. We believe what adults pass down to us. While this lesson serves its due diligence by protecting youth from untrustworthy strangers, it can later dominate the ideology of adults and lead to closed mindedness.
Some of the automatic victims of such closed mindedness are homeless individuals. Media’s oversaturation with horror stories of violent acts committed by those who are unhoused create a dramatized and fear-provoking perception of such people. Living in Newbury Park, this problem often goes unnoticed. While we are aware that homelessness exists in our community, the enormous rates in larger neighboring areas such as Los Angeles can lure us into a sense of comparative security and prevent us from urgent action.
Despite how easy it is to minimize our own statistics by emphasizing those of other communities to higher degrees of severity, it is important to understand that these numbers are not simple mathematical values. They represent lives. Every single individual included in a statistic has a unique and worthy relationship with homelessness, and communities have a responsibility to provide them with the resources and support they desperately need.
Homelessness in Ventura County is not a new issue. Statistics from the Ventura County Continuum of Care Alliance stated that there was a significant negative change in the numbers between the years 2022 and 2023, as the amount of sheltered individuals decreased by 8.4 percent, and the total number of people that were counted as unsheltered increased by 20.4 percent.
While denial is much easier to stomach than guilt for not supporting those around us who are struggling, observing such numbers and being forced to look at facts makes the claim that local involvement in stopping homelessness is not necessary much easier to label false, and draws the conclusion that action must be taken in order to help.
Homelessness is a global epidemic. The United Nations Human Settlements Program states that around 1.6 billion people are currently attempting to survive with insufficient housing, and more than 100 million people have no shelter at all. Such large numbers can make those looking to provide assistance feel helpless, as they jump to the conclusion that aiding homeless communities on local levels will not be enough to put a stop to the challenge as a whole.
However, we urge the citizens of Newbury Park to view this matter with a proactive mentality. Putting aside subconscious judgment or feelings of impotence is necessary to cause change in our county, which might then inspire other areas to do their part. This could set off the exact chain reaction that is required to fight this epidemic on a county level, to eventually spark change in California, and then the U.S., and eventually the world.
Fortunately, there are many ways that both community members, and even students can get involved in the homelessness crisis. When thinking of what to do to help, an example that may immediately jump to mind is handing cash out whenever you pass someone with a sign. However, the City of Ventura Community Development states that this is not a long-term solution. Instead, they encourage people to get involved with supportive services and agencies, such as Buddy Nation, Laundry Love, Step Up Ventura, Ventura Homeless Prevention Fund and many others. Individuals can donate to these organizations, which will then appropriately allocate funds to those requiring assistance.
The first step of moving towards a more understanding society is setting aside preconceptions and recognizing that our civil duty is to help those less fortunate. While some use danger as an excuse for ignoring the problem, others understand that it is vital to get homeless individuals the help they need.
As youth of our community we need to step away from the preconceptions and stereotypes that we associate with homelessness. We need to stop using the excuse that homelessness is an unstoppable force. We need to recognize that efforts on a local level still change lives.
