LOS ANGELES – A new mural was unveiled in Pico-Robertson honoring the Jewish community, presented by the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations’ initiative LA vs Hate, in partnership with the Los Angeles chapter of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles.

The mural, titled “The Common Thread,” was designed by Cloe Hakakian, an Iranian-Jewish muralist and native Angeleno, and weaves a vision of Jewish history and tradition together with the collective memories of Jews in Los Angeles.

In 2022 there were 3,697 antisemitic incidents throughout the United States according to a recent report by the ADL, indicating a 36% increase from 2021 and the highest number on record since ADL began tracking antisemitic incidents in 1979. Los Angeles saw notable antisemitic incidents occur in the last year, including the separate shootings of two Jewish men in Pico-Robertson, as well as banners over a highway overpass that read “Kanye is right about the jews [sic],” referencing Kanye West’s widely-publicized antisemitic rants that created a ripple of hate acts towards the Jewish community across the country.

The mural unveiling was celebrated with an event at The Mark, with speakers such as LA County Third District Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath, President of the LA County Commission on Human Relations Ilan Davidson, Executive Director of the LA County Commission on Human Relations Robin Toma, LA City District 5 Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky, Regional Director of ADL Los Angeles Jeff Abrams, and President & CEO of The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles Rabbi Noah Farkas. They shared remarks on the significance of the Jewish community in Los Angeles and celebrated art’s unique power to unite communities and share experiences across diverse cultures. Following the unveiling and opening remarks, the community enjoyed live performances, food and more.

The mural is part of LA vs Hate: Summer of Solidarity, a summer-long celebration of the County’s cultural and community diversity. The series of events includes monthly art-led and community-centered events in each of the County’s five Supervisorial districts. Through partnerships with community-based organizations, the festivities will uplift and celebrate cultural moments and traditions – all to showcase that unity is stronger than hate. The Summer of Solidarity also seeks to remind residents of the County’s hate reporting system, where anyone can report an act of hate and receive free and confidential support by calling 2-1-1, or by filing a report online at www.LAvsHate.org.

“The vibrant neighborhood of Pico-Robertson is known for being a beacon of light and connection to the Jewish community in Los Angeles that we are celebrating today,” said Supervisor Horvath. “We’re honored to have this talented artist create a piece that articulates a beautiful expression of love, family, and heritage.”

“Public art like this beautiful Jewish community mural has the power to share experiences, create human connections and uplift solidarity within and between communities,” said Robin Toma, Executive Director of the LA County Commission on Human Relations.

“LA vs Hate’s Summer of Solidarity will continue to create art and community-led events to bring people of all walks of life together and to promote dialogue, understanding, and compassion needed to build unity against hate,” added Ilan Davidson, LA County Commission on Human Relations President.

“At a time when we see antisemitism and hateful messaging on the rise, it’s more important now than ever to highlight the experience and contributions of Jews and other marginalized communities in our city,” said Jeffrey I. Abrams, Regional Director of ADL Los Angeles. “We know that exposure to other cultures and experiences can reduce bias and hate and that is exactly what we hope this mural will accomplish.”

“We are proud to help lead this unifying collaboration, which heightens our sense of awareness of the uniqueness of communities across Los Angeles,” said Joanna Mendelson, SVP Community Engagement, Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles. ”The Summer of Solidarity initiative provides an opportunity to reflect the diversity of our Jewish community, and provides a moment to capture the cultural, historical, and spiritual influences that embody the Jewish Angeleno experience. We are prioritizing efforts to build bridges with our neighbors across Los Angeles, and recognize art, such as this mural, is a powerful vehicle to unite.”

“The mural depicts a mother lighting Shabbat candles, with their flames illuminating the Hebrew script for L’dor V’dor, from generation to generation,” explained muralist Cloe Hakakian. “The folds of her headscarf become vignettes that celebrate the diversity of Jews within our community and the cultural experiences shared across time and place. There is a young child held in the arms of her mother as older generations stand behind her, each figure wearing a pattern from the diverse cultural diasporas in Los Angeles county. Footprints move through the desert toward a bright horizon, a metaphor for migration, healing, and resilience within the Jewish community. Silhouettes of culturally significant Los Angeles county landmarks sit on the horizon, reminding the viewer of the greater community within which the Jewish community thrives.”

Throughout the Summer of Solidarity, LA vs Hate will continue to commission and reveal new murals celebrating different communities and cultures across the County through partnering with community organizations. The next mural unveiling will take place in South LA in partnership with the Brotherhood Crusade and LA Commons to bring to life a mural that articulates the experience of the black community with its long history battling racism in Los Angeles. During Long Beach Pride, a mural that honors the LGBTQ+ community will be unveiled in Bixby Park, in partnership with the Long Beach LGBT Center, Long Beach Human Relations Commission and Long Beach Parks Department.

For more information, visit LAvsHate.org, and for the LA vs Hate: Summer of Solidarity calendar of events, visit lavshate.org/community-events-calendar.

LOS ANGELES – Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to learn something new, make new friends and discover new talents.

REGISTER ONLINE

Our quick and easy 24/7 online registration system Active Net allows you to manage everyone’s schedule through a single household account. Sign up for Summer Classes for yourself, partner and children from your smartphone or computer. To learn more about Active Net, visit parks.lacounty.gov/reserve.

Follow LA County Parks on social media: Facebook @parks.lacounty.gov and Twitter/Instagram/TikTok @lacountyparks. Share your experience using #LearnSomethingNew at #LACountyParks.

For more information, please contact [email protected].

LOS ANGELES – California Senate Bill 233, which went into effect in January 2020, ensures that the possession of condoms or HIV prophylactics cannot be used as evidence to arrest or prosecute a person for sex work.
 
However, a new study of people engaged in sex work in Los Angeles County from the Southern California HIV/AIDS Policy Research Center and the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law finds that 80% of respondents were unaware of the law. In addition, about 80% carried condoms while working despite the perceived risk of criminalization.
 
Researchers interviewed 25 adults about their experiences in sex work, including interactions with law enforcement, sexual risk behaviors, and condom-carrying practices. Respondents reported learning about the risk of carrying condoms from their own interactions with law enforcement and from their peers engaged in sex work.
 
While a few respondents said they avoided carrying condoms due to their concerns about police interactions, the majority still carried condoms as a way to resist police control and to protect their health, the health of their clients, community, and colleagues in sex work.
 
“Most of the people surveyed were aware of being targeted for sex work by law enforcement if they carried condoms at a time when condoms could no longer be used as evidence,” said lead author Ayako Miyashita Ochoa, Co-Director of the Southern California HIV/AIDS Policy Research Center at UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. “This study highlights the need for interventions that raise awareness of the legal rights of people engaged in sex work and oversight of SB233 implementation among California police officers.”
 
“People engaged in sex work report that much of the knowledge they have about the risks of carrying condoms came from members of their community,” said study author Bianca D.M. Wilson, Senior Scholar of Public Policy at the Williams Institute. “It is important that people engaged in sex work lead interventions, advocacy, and outreach efforts to ensure that accurate and current information is disseminated.”
 
This project was made possible by support from Sex Workers Outreach Project Los Angeles (SWOPLA) and East LA Women’s Center. Support was also provided by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health’s Office of Women’s Health and Unique Woman’s Coalition.

Read the full report

LOS ANGELES – Highlighting the state’s historic investments made in behavioral health and housing resources for veterans, Governor Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom toured a new supportive housing site at the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs campus and met with California veterans who are receiving services.

These services, such as housing, have led to unhoused California veterans experiencing behavioral health challenges successfully moving into stable, permanent housing with accessible and affordable services and care for them.

“Our veterans put their lives on the line to serve our country, now we need to serve them in return. Too many veterans can’t escape the battlefront, even here on the home front – and because of that, we have lost too many of these heroes to suicide, while many more struggle with other behavioral and physical health concerns,” said Governor Newsom. “California is building an accessible network of resources for veterans and their families, while we tackle the deadly stigma around mental health that isolates and endangers so many of our heroes. We are home to the nation’s largest population of veterans, who all deserve to be connected, respected, and protected.”

“Veterans and their families make tremendous sacrifices, both physically and mentally in heroic service to our country,” said First Partner Siebel Newsom. “It is essential that we honor and support them by ensuring their needs, especially related to mental health, are met when they come home. As we remember and pay tribute to servicemembers we’ve lost, I’m proud that California has remained steadfast, through policies and investments, in our commitment to the veterans who call this state home.”

“As Memorial Day approaches, we honor our fallen – those who gave their lives in service to our nation,” said Russell Atterberry, Undersecretary at the California Department of Veterans Affairs. “We also remember their sacrifices by caring for the veterans who are still with us. California is creating more housing for veterans and investing in behavioral health services to ensure the well-being of our veterans and their families.”

California is home to 1.6 million veterans, the most in the nation. Governor Newsom’s investments led to CalVet expanding programs focused on veterans, particularly comprehensive behavioral and mental health services like those offered at the West Los Angeles VA campus.

Key Behavioral Health Programs for California Veterans

• California Veterans Health Initiative (CVHI): $50 million investment to coordinate state, local, and community resources to amplify education and outreach efforts, while working to increase capacity so we can serve all our veterans in need. 
• Veterans Housing and Homelessness Prevention Program (VHHP): Projects are required to provide onsite supportive services which include intensive case management, mental and physical health care, benefits counseling and advocacy, education and employment services, life-skills training, and peer support – an additional investment of $100 million.
• Veterans Support to Self-Reliance Pilot Program: $25 million to help California’s most vulnerable veterans with the opportunity to age in place, by establishing a baseline of service that will enable them in stable, independent housing.
• Behavioral Health Services Program: $1.27 million in ongoing funding to assist County Veterans Service Offices (CVSOs) in enhancing and expanding mental health services through projects that collaborate with the existing community-based system of care.
• California Transition Assistance Program (CALTAP): Provides in-person and virtual trainings to service members, veterans and their families throughout the state.
• Behavioral Health at the Veterans Homes of California: The eight Veterans Homes of California have hired more clinical social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists to ensure behavioral health staffing is commensurate with the needs of current and future residents.

Governor Gavin Newsom today also announced the appointment of Lindsey Sin as Secretary of the California Department of Veterans Affairs.

“Lindsey is the definition of a public servant – never losing sight of who she is serving, and tireless in pursuing her mission,” said Governor Newsom. “She has dedicated over two decades of her career to our country and this state as an officer in the US Navy and a leader for veterans. She has delivered unprecedented resources to the California veterans’ community, with a particular focus on equity and inclusion for the needs of our women veterans. Lindsey’s unwavering care and compassion will make her a trusted leader to serve as CalVet Secretary, representing the largest population of veterans in our country.”

Lindsey Sin, of Sacramento, has been appointed as the Secretary of the California Department of Veterans Affairs, where she has served in several roles since 2011, including Deputy Secretary of Communications and Deputy Secretary of Women Veterans Affairs.

She was a Veterans Benefits Advisor at California State University, Sacramento from 2010 to 2011. Sin was Lead Veterans Affairs Coordinator at American River College from 2008 to 2010.

She was served as a Cryptologic Technician Interpretive in the Arabic language at the rank of Petty Officer First Class with Naval Aviation Warfare and Naval Aircrew designations in the United States Navy from 1997 to 2005.

Sin earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from California State University, Sacramento, and a Master of Business Administration in Entrepreneurship from Drexel University.

This position requires Senate confirmation.

The County Department of Mental Health’s School Threat Assessment Response Team (START) program has launched a new educational campaign that features social media ads and in-school posters to encourage high school students to contact START if they witness concerning or threatening behavior by a fellow student. The START program consists of mental health professionals who work with schools and law enforcement and respond to calls about concerning behavior that could potentially lead to school violence. When contacted about a student who might pose a threat to themselves or others, the team comes in to assess the level of risk and provide targeted intervention to the student.

You can watch more stories like this on Channel 92 or 94 on most cable systems, or anytime here. Catch up on LA County Close-Up here.

In Case You Missed It

LA County Economic Opportunity Grant Deadline Extended

No business is too small! Deadline to apply for LA County’s Economic Opportunity Grant program has been extended to May 31!

Microbusinesses, small businesses, and nonprofits can still apply for grants ranging from $2500 to $25k to help with post pandemic recovery efforts.
Applicants can access live multilingual webinars, instructional how-to-apply videos and demos, one-on-one application support, and in-person support events across the County to verify eligibility and submit successful applications.

Visit grants.lacounty.gov to get started!

Equity in Infrastructure

Los Angeles County Public Works is undertaking its Equity in Infrastructure Initiative which includes its recent website launch. The new initiative is guided by extensive policy review, investment analysis, and community engagement with a focus on addressing historical disparities in communities that have not had a voice.

Public Works has launched an anonymous survey and wants to hear from you to improve important services in your community, such as but not limited to road repairs, flood control, water quality, bike lanes, and waste removal. Your feedback will be used to help inform recommendations to improve the infrastructure of all LA County communities. All County Residents are invited to share their thoughts. Completing the survey will take approximately 10–15 minutes. Visit the Equity in Infrastructure Initiative website to take the survey and find additional information and resources at equity.pw.lacounty.gov/.

At Your Service

LACOE Helps Delete the Digital Divide 

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) benefit program that helps ensure that income eligible households can afford the home internet service they need for work, school, healthcare and more.

If you or someone you know needs help signing up for the ACP, call the LACOE ACP Help Desk at 562-940-1776 or email [email protected].

Out and About

Fair Chance Business Convening: Sports, Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation.

Team DEO has partnered with LeadersUp, Root & Rebound and TaskForce to host a free in-person information session for all business owners and employers who want to leverage the power of Fair Chance hiring. Hear from experts, connect with like-minded employers, and learn strategies for an effective and sustainable Fair Chance hiring program.

Hiring system-impacted individuals is not only the right thing to do, but it is also good for business. Learn why at the Fair Chance Hiring information session on May 25th at Culver City Parks & Recreation. Don’t wait to reserve a spot today! Click here to RSVP.

Join Department of Health Services in Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month

 

Join The Department of Health Services in Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month! Visit the newly renamed LA General Medical Center to watch two beautiful performances. Catch the Taiko performance from 12:15-12:30pm and the Lion and Dragon dance from 12:30-12:45pm. 

Both performances will be held in the courtyard. You won’t want to miss them!

Photo Finish

Click here to access more photos of LA County in action.

LOS ANGELES – Today, LA vs Hate announced a summer-long celebration of Los Angeles County’s cultural diversity, called LA vs Hate: Summer of Solidarity. Through partnerships with community-based organizations, LA vs Hate’s festivities will uplift and celebrate cultural moments and traditions – all to showcase that unity is stronger than hate.

LA vs Hate is a system that partners with organizations across all five County districts in efforts to end hate, and this new campaign of events will utilize culture, dialogue and connection to address the root issues of hate and division. The Summer of Solidarity will include monthly art-led and community-centered events that will run throughout the County all summer long.

“We are thrilled to announce LA vs Hate: Summer of Solidarity, in part because this day is also a global celebration of culture – it’s UNESCO’s World Cultural Diversity Day for Dialogue and Development,” said Robin Toma, Executive Director of the LA County Commission on Human Relations. “We chose to start Summer of Solidarity on  this day as both campaigns seek to highlight not only the richness of the world’s cultures, but also the significant role that intercultural dialogue, community connection and the arts play in creating peace and safety in our neighborhoods. LA vs Hate has continually placed the arts and culture as an important focal point of their work, emphasizing the power of art to address unity and division, trauma and healing, and peace and hate.”

The campaign kicked off earlier this month, as LA vs Hate marked Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month by celebrating at LA Galaxy’s home team game at Dignity Health Sports Park.

In collaboration with AAPI Equity Alliance and Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California, LA vs Hate was the match’s official community partner. The organizations conducted outreach to fans at the pre-game Soccer Fest, engaging with the community around LA vs Hate’s mission to end hate as well as distributing posters, shirts, and free resources.

Now through September, LA vs Hate will unveil monthly murals in all five County districts that celebrate each County’s cultural diversity. In the creation of each mural, LA vs Hate and its partners collaborated closely with each district, involving community-representing artists, selecting anchoring locations, and hosting public workshops to collectively determine the desired content and themes.

Each mural unveiling throughout the summer will celebrate each community’s respective rich cultures and histories, featuring dance, music and food, all bringing diverse people together through the unifying power of art. These events will also serve as educational moments to uplift the resources that LA vs Hate provides to the public, including the ability to call 211LA to report hate and receive resources to heal from hate.

May is also Jewish American Heritage Month, and one of the first events will celebrate the Jewish Community. In partnership with the Anti-Defamation League and the Jewish Federation, LA vs Hate has commissioned a mural in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood by Cloe Hakakian, an Iranian-Jewish muralist and native Angeleno. The mural is set to be unveiled on Sunday, June 4th at 3PM at The Mark at 9320 W Pico Blvd.

The Summer of Solidarity is also partnering with LA County Parks, LA County Libraries and LA County Beaches & Harbors to produce events for the public. The following are just a sampling of events that will celebrate different communities across the county, with more to be announced soon:

• Asian Youth Center AAPI Heritage Month Celebration at Blossom Market Hall | May 25^th – 5:30PM – 6:45PM
• Hate Crime Clinic at Heritage United Methodist Church | June 3^rd – 10AM – 1PM
• Juneteenth Celebration & Resource Fair at Ciclavia South LA | June 18^th – 9AM – 4PM
• LGBTQ Mural unveiling at Bixby Park, Long Beach | August 5^th at 10am

The campaign seeks to unite communities across the County’s districts, not only through in-person events, but through community outreach and empowerment. LA vs Hate has created an online hub for Summer of Solidarity that details the calendar of events, as well as sharing different ways for individuals to promote solidarity and cultural appreciation in their communities, such as organizing a service day, hosting a community potluck, setting up a panel on social justice and anti-racism.

The online hub also provides communities with a variety of digital content and tools for them to organize their own events and to share messages of solidarity, cultural appreciation and peace across their communities both online and in-real-life.

For more information, visit LAvsHate.org, and for the full calendar of events, visit lavshate.org/community-events-calendar.

About LA vs Hate

LA vs Hate is a community-centered system designed to support all residents of Los Angeles County. Led by the Human Relations Commission, LA vs Hate partners with community partners from all five County districts, representing a diverse coalition of voices committed to ending hate. The system aims to address the normalization of hate and inspire people to stand up to it, build understanding about what constitutes a hate act and how to report it, as well as support individuals and communities as they heal from the trauma of hate. By tracking and reporting hate, we can ensure that resources are allocated appropriately, that those targeted by hate receive the support they need, and that together, we can build respectful and resilient communities.

LOS ANGELES – On Tuesday afternoon Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lawrence P. Riff issued a preliminary injunction halting enforcement of LA County’s harmful Cash Bail Schedule while a class action lawsuit filed by Public Justice and Civil Rights Corps alleging that wealth-based detention is unconstitutional proceeds.

Last January, Danielle Dupuy-Watson noted that “BIPOC and LGBTQ+ people are disproportionately impacted by this systemic injustice. Over 85% of people in LA jails are BIPOC. LGBTQ+ people are twice as likely to be arrested relative to the rest of the population.  A survey of incarcerated LGBTQ+ people revealed that 74% of those interviewed were incarcerated simply because they couldn’t afford the price of freedom.” 

Bamby Salcedo, President and CEO of TransLatin@ Coalition, knows this discrimination.

Salcedo spoke with the Blade addressing the cash bail

“Incarceration matters to me because I have experienced firsthand what it is to be incarcerated. When I first came to Los Angeles in 1988, there were no resources. Whatever resources we needed, we founded in community. And so, to survive, I had to engage in the street economy— sex work, petty theft crimes. All of my convictions were drug related — I needed to escape from my reality. I had to sell my body for drugs and food and shelter.

I am a survivor of that war with drugs. But trans people continue to be pushed to engage in the street economy as means to survive. Trans people continue to be criminalized and incarcerated because of who we are — but also because of the lack of opportunities that we still do not have. I started being arrested in 1988 and went to the Hall of Justice Jail, or the old county jail. But the very same things continue to happen in our community today.

A lot of people refer to the justice system, but in all reality, it’s an injustice system because the way the legal system is set up is to specifically target and cage poor people. People with money get out and continue to do crimes. Poor Black and Brown people continue to be incarcerated. So, there’s definitely a huge disparity there. They have set up this bail system that they say is a way for people to get out. But in all reality, it’s a way for people to continue to be incarcerated.

What’s the solution? Obviously, it really depends on the alleged reason for the arrest. Why can’t people just get a ticket if people were trying to survive? Take myself as an example. I had to steal makeup from a store. I had to because I had no other way to get it. But if I were to get caught, if I would’ve gotten a ticket for me to appear, I would probably have had the opportunity with less stress to tell the judge, ‘this is my situation.’ But now incarcerated, you are stressed and you are violated in other ways by other people who are also incarcerated.

In my case, I was sexually assaulted in the county jail multiple times. Even though they would separate you, just like they do now — before you get to where you are going, you are in this holding cell and you’re prone to being assaulted. And they parade people like myself around. They laugh at us and we’re humiliated. All of those things. Why can’t we avoid all of that? Instead of being traumatized, why can’t we be supported with the resources that we need instead of being incarcerated?

And they target specific neighborhoods and specific Black and Brown populations that live in these neighborhoods. It’s like they don’t target people in Beverly Hills — but they do go target people in South LA. In my case, back in the 1980s, it was Santa Monica Boulevard and sex workers. We were constantly targeted and being trapped by undercover officers.

So, we need to completely change the way the system is set up because the truth is that the cash bail system impacts everyone.”

LOS ANGELES – Trailblazing former Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina died Sunday at 74. Molina, the daughter of working-class parents was an unapologetic proud Chicana activist and a politician who transformed the political landscape of Los Angeles County and Southern California.

Molina had announced this past March that for the past several years she had been receiving care for a terminal type of cancer but that the cancer was extremely aggressive.

Molina also served in the California Assembly and on the Los Angeles City Council, before she spent more than two decades on the County Board of Supervisors.

Born on May 31, 1948, the oldest of ten children, she was raised in eastern Los Angeles County in Montebello. Molina attended local Montebello public schools followed by first East Los Angeles City College, and then Cal State Los Angeles.

While still a college student Molina became a community activist later on becoming active in the Comisión Femenil Mexicana Nacional de Los Angeles. She was a proactive Chicana feminist early on in her career who helped establish the Chicana Service Action Center, Los Angeles, in 1973.

In the mid 1970’s she became administrative assistant for California State Legislature Democratic Assemblyman Art Torres.

In 1977, Molina joined the Carter administration as a staffing specialist in the Office of Presidential Personnel in Washington D.C. then in 1979 she left D.C. to take up the post of director of Intergovernmental and Congressional Affairs in the Department of Health and Human Services, Region IX office, in San Francisco.

Her adovacy work in politics continued when she joined the staff of then California State Speaker of the Assembly Willie L. Brown, Jr. in 1981, as the Speaker’s chief southern California deputy, where she functioned in the role of Brown’s liaison with the southern California Latino community.

A lifelong Democrat, Molina was elected to the California State Assembly from the Fifty-sixth Assembly District in 1982, serving until her 1987 election to the Los Angeles City Council. Molina, upon her election became the first Latina member of the state assembly, and served on the Committees on Revenue and Taxation, Labor and Employment, Utilities and Commerce, chaired the Subcommittee on Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities, and was vice chairwoman of the Committee on Public Employment and Retirement.

Molina’s legislative efforts were focused on the special needs of her constituents, included bills on school dropouts, sexual harassment, state parks, insurance consumer protection, and child safety.

In 1987, Molina was the first Latina ever elected to and only the third person of Mexican ancestry to serve on the Los Angeles City Council. While a city councilwoman, Molina was known as an uncompromising and vocal advocate of citywide issues, as well as issues particular to her own district.

Molina campaigned to win a seat on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in a special election held after a court-ordered reapportionment and in January 1991, she defeated her former Assembly boss Art Torres in the supervisorial election to represent a large portion of the San Gabriel Valley including her hometown.

In addition to her advocacy for Latino rights she also advocated for LGBTQ Angelenos writing in a May 2014 post on Facebook: “Equality is a right, not an option. We must all continue to fight until everyone has the same freedoms that many have died protecting. I’m proud that so many people participated in today’s May Day march in support of worker, immigrant and LGBT rights!”

U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) released the following statement after the passing of the former Los Angeles County Supervisor:

“For countless women, Latinos, and young people, there’s been no better champion or role model in California politics than Gloria Molina. She dedicated her life to public service, entering political office during a time when few women or Latinos held top roles in public office. Gloria broke barriers as the first Latina elected to the California State Assembly, the Los Angeles City Council, and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and she was never, ever one to shy away from a tough fight.

“The daughter of working-class parents, Gloria fought tooth and nail for working class communities across Los Angeles. She was an unrelenting champion for disadvantaged communities in the halls of power at the local, state, and federal levels. From helping to build more affordable housing to fighting to expand public transportation, Gloria was a tireless advocate for Los Angeles’ Eastside. Each time we speak out today against the status quo and demand better from our government and our political leaders, we take a page from Gloria’s playbook—and California takes a step forward.

“I’ll be forever grateful for her steadfast leadership and commitment to improving the lives of all Angelenos. Angela and I send our condolences to Gloria’s family during this difficult time.”

Governor Gavin Newsom issued the following statement regarding the death of former California State Assemblymember, Los Angeles City Councilmember and Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina:

“Jennifer and I are deeply saddened by the passing of Gloria Molina, a trailblazing changemaker who improved the lives of countless Angelenos and Californians and opened doors for generations of women in politics and public service.

“Throughout over three decades in office, Molina broke ground as the first Latina California State Assemblymember and as the first Latina to serve on the Los Angeles City Council and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

“Never losing sight of her roots in community organizing and advocacy, Molina was not afraid to clash with prominent politicos in her fight for working-class neighborhoods. Her leadership delivered lasting results advancing social justice for Eastside communities, creating parks and community centers and expanding public transit, among other accomplishments.

“Molina’s enduring legacy of service and dedication to empowering others is an inspiration to all Californians. Our thoughts are with her family, community and friends during this time of loss.”

Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis who represents the First District, and a former U.S. Secretary of Labor tweeted:

I am grateful for her determination to meet the needs of our most vulnerable. It was her fuerza, her force, that residents often overlooked were able to benefit from our safety net. (2/4)

— Hilda Solis (@HildaSolis) May 15, 2023

I am heartbroken to lose a champion for Latinos, for mujeres, and for the Eastside. While she may no longer be physically with us, we will forever feel her impact.

My prayers are with her loved ones during this heartbreaking time. May her soul Rest In Peace. (4/4)

— Hilda Solis (@HildaSolis) May 15, 2023

LOS ANGELES – Last week the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health released its fourth annual report on mortality among people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County. 

The numbers of deaths attributable to drug overdoses were, as in 2019, the leading cause of death for people experiencing homelessness, accounting for 37% of all deaths among unhoused individuals in 2020 and 2021 combined —about two deaths per day on average. Drug overdose was also the largest driver of the overall increase in mortality for people experiencing homelessness, with the overdose mortality rate doubling from 2019 to 2021. 

In its report, Public Health noted that Fentanyl has been the drug type driving overdose deaths since the start of the pandemic, with the percentage of overdose deaths involving fentanyl almost tripling from 20% in 2019 to 58% in 2021.

Fentanyl deaths almost always involved combinations of drugs. In 2021, 71% of all fentanyl deaths among people experiencing homelessness also involved methamphetamine.  

The second leading cause of death continues to be coronary heart disease, although the coronary heart disease mortality rate decreased in 2021 after increasing from 2017 to 2020.  Coronary heart disease deaths accounted for 14% of all deaths among persons experiencing homelessness in 2020 and 2021 combined– about 5 deaths per week on average.  

The third leading cause of death was traffic injuries, which increased by 47% from 2019 to 2021, accounting for 8% of all deaths of people experiencing homelessness in 2020 and 2021 combined —about 3 deaths per week on average.  

The homicide rate, which has risen among people experiencing homelessness since 2017, increased by 49% in 2021 compared to the previous year. Homicides were the fourth leading cause of death in 2020 and 2021—about 2 deaths per week on average.  

COVID-19, the second leading cause of death for all residents in LA County in 2020 and the leading cause of death in 2021, was the fifth leading cause of death among people experiencing homelessness for both of those years. 

The report also noted that overdose mortality rates are higher among white people experiencing homelessness than Black and Latinx people experiencing homelessness, and higher among male versus female people experiencing homelessness.

From 2019 to 2020 overdose rates increased substantially across all three racial/ethnic groups and among both men and women, but 2021 saw a continued sharp rise only among white people experiencing homelessness and male people experiencing homelessness. In contrast, the overdose mortality rate among Black people experiencing homelessness slowed in 2021 and leveled off among Latinx and female people experiencing homelessness. 

Mortality rates of people experiencing homelessness compared to the general LA County population 

For the combined years of 2020 and 2021, the mortality rate among people experiencing homelessness was 3.8 times greater than that of LA County residents. This represents a widening of the mortality gap since the three-year period prior to the pandemic when the mortality rate for people experiencing homelessness was 2.9 times greater.  

In 2020-21, overdose mortality was 39 times greater among people experiencing homelessness when compared to LA County residents. Traffic injury and homicide mortality were, respectively, 20 and 15 times greater among people experiencing homelessness during the first two years of the pandemic, than among all other county residents. When comparing mortality rates for all the leading causes of death, the smallest gap was observed for COVID-19, with people experiencing homelessness dying at 1.8 times the rate of the general population. 

 “Being homeless has always been associated with a greater risk of death; in this report, we see how big the mortality gap is between those housed and unhoused. For every leading cause of death in LA County, unhoused individuals are between 2 and 40 times more likely to die than those not experiencing homelessness.  And with more than one out of every three deaths among people experiencing homelessness attributed to drug overdose, urgent action is needed to ensure that unhoused individuals with substance use disorder have access to treatment and harm reduction services that meet people where they are,” said Barbara Ferrer, Ph.D., Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. “Moving forward, we need to recognize that people who are unhoused need both housing and services to reduce their risk of death, and for us to close the distressing mortality gaps, policy and system changes are in order.” 

Data used 

This new report uses data from the 2022 homeless count (suspended in 2021 due to the pandemic) to resume the estimation of trends in mortality rates. It also uses a variety of data from 2021. Data from 2022 will be presented in January 2024. 

Looking ahead 

The County’s plan for preventing future homeless deaths includes: 

• Expanding and improving field-based, harm reduction-oriented substance use disorder treatment services.  
• Increasing distribution of naloxone to people experiencing homelessness in street and shelter/interim housing settings, as well as those people experiencing homelessness exiting jails and prisons. 
• Expanding and enhancing County-contracted substance-use disorder provider utilization of the homeless management information system to improve coordination of care and housing-focused case management for people experiencing homelessness with substance-use disorders.   
• Increasing investments in recovery bridge housing to ensure people experiencing homelessness, including those exiting jails and prisons, receive outpatient substance use disorder treatment services and permanent housing placements. 
• Increasing the provision of preventive healthcare and chronic disease management for people experiencing homelessness who are at risk for conditions that, when left unmanaged, increase their mortality rates.  
• Collaborating with local jurisdictions to identify concentrations of fatal injury collisions involving people who are unhoused to inform local infrastructure, program, and policy interventions to prevent traffic deaths of people experiencing homelessness. 

In statements released by the County, four of the five person Los Angles County Board of Supervisors reflected on the report:

“This is a tragedy upon a tragedy,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn, Chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. “People are dying on our streets and this report only underscores how important it is that we continue to treat the homelessness crisis with a sense of urgency and move as many people as possible inside so we can begin to save their lives.” 

“We have declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles County because there are far too many people on our streets,” said Supervisor Hilda Solis, co-author of the 2019 motion addressing rising homeless mortality. “The findings in this report reflect the urgency with which we must work to protect the most vulnerable among us. Each of the 2,201 unhoused people who died in 2021 was someone’s friend, family, and loved one and we must redouble our efforts to address this crisis. As part of our response, it is critical that we address the drug epidemic, particularly the rise of fentanyl on our streets. We must continue to ensure that harm reduction tools and services, such as naloxone, are widely available and accessible to our unhoused residents.” 

“This report underscores the enormous destruction fentanyl is causing our communities. To know that people experiencing homelessness are 39 times more likely to die of a drug overdose compared to the overall population of LA County is yet another painful reminder of the harm our unhoused neighbors experience, and why we must continue to move with urgency to address the crisis on our streets,” said Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath. “We need to get people inside, in treatment, and supported with wraparound services. We also need to expand the availability of Narcan for all who serve the public to use as a vital, life-saving tool.” 

“The data from this report quantifies what we already intuitively know to be true: more people experiencing homelessness on our streets are suffering and dying,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger. “Substance abuse is many times an attempt to mask and escape trauma. Our homeless are fighting a losing battle and need help. They aren’t going to heal themselves without proactive support. I am focused on increasing the County’s capacity to deploy outreach teams equipped with the expertise to lift people out of their addictions. I also believe federal and state law changes are needed, so we can provide more mental health treatment beds and increase our ability to operate them. The County’s role is to provide services and we need to answer that call, without barriers or hesitation.” 

To view the full report online, visit: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/chie.  

LOS ANGELES – To reduce the risk of contracting or transmitting mpox at upcoming festivals and Pride events, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) strongly recommends people at higher risk for mpox get fully vaccinated with two doses of the mpox vaccine for maximum protection against severe illness.

While there have been only three confirmed new mpox cases reported since March 1 in Los Angeles County, the recently reported cluster of at least 14 mpox cases in the Chicago area highlights the high potential for mpox resurgence locally.

Mpox is mainly spread through direct skin-to-skin contact with an infected person during intimate physical contact or sex. However, it is important to note that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has determined that some infected people who have no symptoms can still spread the infection up to four days before they develop symptoms.

The following groups are considered at higher risk for mpox:

• Any man or transgender person who has sex with men or transgender persons
• Persons of any gender or sexual orientation who engage in commercial and/or transactional sex or have sex in association with a large public event
• Persons living with HIV, especially persons with uncontrolled or advanced HIV disease
• Sexual partners of people in any of the above groups

People in these higher-risk groups should get two doses of mpox vaccine for the best protection. The vaccine works very well to prevent mpox (70-85% protection) and prevent serious cases. Second doses can be given no matter how long it’s been since the first dose. Residents can choose to receive the mpox subcutaneously (in the upper arm) or intradermally (under the skin on their arm or back). Vaccine boosters are not recommended at this time.

Mpox vaccines are free and available to anyone who requests it regardless of their insurance or immigration status and without having to disclose information on personal risk.

To find a vaccination site, visit Myturn.ca.gov. For general mpox information, including vaccines, testing and treatment, call the Public Health Call Center at 833-540-0473 seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. or visit the Public Health website at ph.lacounty.gov/mpox.