I am a student living in El Sereno, a Los Angeles neighborhood in the Eastside Los Angeles region of Los Angeles County, California. This community has rapidly declined after a series of events that led to a rapid increase in the local homeless population. The homeless population increase has been correlated with increased crime in the area, including drug distribution, multiple stabbings, thefts, and more

The homeless crisis is a complex issue that needs to be addressed with comprehensive strategies involving mental health initiatives, rehabilitation, and compassion. To investigate my community's efforts in this, I took to the Nextdoor application to see what was being done to improve the community. To my disappointment, I found our Neighborhood Council representative, Dr. Tom Williams, was dismissing the concerns of local residents about the increasing homelessness in the area, and supporting non-issue initiatives, such as gardening and hedge trimming. 

When presented with information about the homeless in the area, Williams mocks and challenges residents to confront the homeless by filming them breaking laws. These individuals are often aggressive and confrontational, and filming them in the manner desired by Williams would pose safety risks to concerned residents. Constituents deserve to be reasonably heard and supported by their representative. When we beg Dr. Williams to do something, he challenges the residents to simply move away. At the same time, he mocks those that move away and says that they are giving up on this community. El Sereno deserves a representative who will listen to their concerns without being dismissive of them. El Sereno deserves a representative that will work towards these comprehensive compassionate initiatives that will move towards equitably solving the homeless crisis.

It is clear that there is a crisis in El Sereno, and we need a representative that will take that crisis seriously.