Excuses and failures - the homeless crisis in LA
It is so hard to juggle trying to fight to keep our own home while trying to get things organized for this, so that maybe, just maybe we can help others not endure this nightmare path, but its so important to me and my family that I sit here unable to sleep thinking about how cold I am and how much colder it is for those already living out on the street. I'm not a violent person, but I swear to you that every time i hear someone say or read a post with: "Homeless people choose to be homeless they prefer it obviously since there are shelters everywhere," I want to punch them.
We already have discussed and showed you, as we will quite often until its common knowledge, that there are so many reasons that we have a serious and growing homeless crisis not just here in Los Angeles county, but across this country. Lets be real, its not a homeless crisis, its a housing and corruption crisis, as we seem to have billions upon billions for our military defense budget (which never makes it down into the hands of the families and soldiers who are serving and need it), but cities who create temporary band aids on the problems, without addressing and admitting that the cities and federal government are failing these people and families. Failing them by not addressing the real issues and reasons for homelessness, but failing because they know and see the problems, and dont listen to those people when they tell their stories about how they got there and how much they just want a safe and happy life where they arent terrified about falling asleep only to be robbed, assaulted, freeze to death, or get sick and die alone.
Los Angeles housed more than 2,800 veterans last year. But nearly that many became homeless, too, so the population of former service members on the streets dropped by just 12 individuals between 2018 and 2019. Yes — 12 veterans. That's not a lot."Our very critical shortage of affordable housing, rapidly rising rents and uncontrolled evictions combined to drive many veterans into homelessness," said Phil Ansell, who directs L.A. County's Homelessness Initiative. "More individuals are falling into homelessness," Templeton said. "And we're finding many of them are falling into homelessness for the first time." In January 2019, Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) volunteers counted 3,874 veterans living on the street or in cars, tents, and shelters. The 2018 point-in-time count recorded 3,886 veterans who were homeless in Los Angeles County. That was an 18 percent dip from the previous year (2017), when advocates faced an alarming 57 percent spike in the number of homeless veterans. Vets experience homelessness at a higher rate than the civilian population. About 7 percent of people in the U.S. can claim veteran status, but former service members make up around 13 percent of the country's homeless population, according to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. I found this info here where you can read the full story, but you get the picture. And while a small improvement isnt and shouldnt be ignored, we also cannot applaud them either.
My family ahs been fighting not one but TWO lenders to get a loan modification after my husband abruptly was released from the dream job that the mortgage was based on in the first place. We have a VA secure home loan, which i know means really nothing as far as security, because the VA itself has been utterly useless to us and the reason we have spent so much on lawyers to fight on our own. Still, as of right now, our home is set to be put up for auction on April 9th, and try as I am, I cant even seem to raise the money ($560) to help pay the court filing fees for the actual lawsuit against the lenders and trustee. It feels like we're drowning in a lake of bad luck and ignored pleas for help, and honestly, it makes me question why we want to stay here in this country anyways. The last three years has taught me more about dual tracking, lender protection, lies, and the lack of programs and resources that veteran homeowners have in not only fighting foreclosures, but in paying for good lawyers to defend homeowners, and avoiding foreclosures in the first place.
Evictions and foreclosures are huge contributors to veteran homelessness, and families are being forever changed as they are forced to try and make do and figure things out while the lenders and banks and investors take the homes, sell it for as much as they can and sue the homeowners for whatever the difference on top of legal fees! During the call in for making our 2nd "hardship forbearance payment" the lender representative i talked to actually had the balls to tell me: "If we were in the business of modifying loans to help families keep their homes, we'd be bankrupt!" Yes, she said exactly that! And the kicker is, its a flat out lie!! Lenders and mortgage companies make a fortune off of buying and selling home loans in distress, if they were so concerned about losing money, and going bankrupt, they wouldnt continue to buy seriously delinquent mortgages (ours was almost 2 yrs behind when it was sold off to lender B the Lender we have right now). But they are buying and selling delinquent home loans, sometimes several times at a time, and news flash...It costs the cities and states and federal government MORE to deal with homelessness and poverty than it does to work harder to help keep them in their homes. And its no secret, with the recent supreme court decision to further protect lenders and banks from homeowners in non judicial states, that it is the banks, investment firms, lenders and mortgage companies who hold all the cards and come out on top.
The stress, anxiety, tears and fears of fighting to keep your home is far worse and more than I had thought. I knew it wasnt going to be easy but I had no idea that it would take this long to just get help keeping our home after a job loss and months without employment caused us to rack up bills and additional debt. They can see and know that with every passing month that they took their time in reviewing our loan modification packet, was one more month of missed mortgage payment and more debt. The same things they would use to deny us help time after time after time. All of this just so they can take homes and move along, with little to no regard to the lives they ruin or tear apart. But, after all that we have gone through this far, I understand why so many actually just give up and leave their homes to be taken. For us, that is just not an option. We have nowhere else to go, and with our fruit trees in our yard and the damage this has caused our credit and finances, its fight or die trying.
Im glad to see new programs popping up for those veteran and civilians who have been on the street for so long, but we need to work faster and do more including increasing addiction and medical programs and services. AND we have to seriously do way more at helping veteran families facing eviction and foreclosures, stop these processes and protect them and help them so they dont actually end up on the streets. We are stuck in that demographic and we arent alone. I'll soon be sharing the stories I have collected now, from families past and present who have been through and are going through the same. Every little bit counts, but we can do better. They did their jobs and served their time, and should be protected and provided for for that service.
We already have discussed and showed you, as we will quite often until its common knowledge, that there are so many reasons that we have a serious and growing homeless crisis not just here in Los Angeles county, but across this country. Lets be real, its not a homeless crisis, its a housing and corruption crisis, as we seem to have billions upon billions for our military defense budget (which never makes it down into the hands of the families and soldiers who are serving and need it), but cities who create temporary band aids on the problems, without addressing and admitting that the cities and federal government are failing these people and families. Failing them by not addressing the real issues and reasons for homelessness, but failing because they know and see the problems, and dont listen to those people when they tell their stories about how they got there and how much they just want a safe and happy life where they arent terrified about falling asleep only to be robbed, assaulted, freeze to death, or get sick and die alone.
Los Angeles housed more than 2,800 veterans last year. But nearly that many became homeless, too, so the population of former service members on the streets dropped by just 12 individuals between 2018 and 2019. Yes — 12 veterans. That's not a lot."Our very critical shortage of affordable housing, rapidly rising rents and uncontrolled evictions combined to drive many veterans into homelessness," said Phil Ansell, who directs L.A. County's Homelessness Initiative. "More individuals are falling into homelessness," Templeton said. "And we're finding many of them are falling into homelessness for the first time." In January 2019, Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) volunteers counted 3,874 veterans living on the street or in cars, tents, and shelters. The 2018 point-in-time count recorded 3,886 veterans who were homeless in Los Angeles County. That was an 18 percent dip from the previous year (2017), when advocates faced an alarming 57 percent spike in the number of homeless veterans. Vets experience homelessness at a higher rate than the civilian population. About 7 percent of people in the U.S. can claim veteran status, but former service members make up around 13 percent of the country's homeless population, according to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. I found this info here where you can read the full story, but you get the picture. And while a small improvement isnt and shouldnt be ignored, we also cannot applaud them either.
My family ahs been fighting not one but TWO lenders to get a loan modification after my husband abruptly was released from the dream job that the mortgage was based on in the first place. We have a VA secure home loan, which i know means really nothing as far as security, because the VA itself has been utterly useless to us and the reason we have spent so much on lawyers to fight on our own. Still, as of right now, our home is set to be put up for auction on April 9th, and try as I am, I cant even seem to raise the money ($560) to help pay the court filing fees for the actual lawsuit against the lenders and trustee. It feels like we're drowning in a lake of bad luck and ignored pleas for help, and honestly, it makes me question why we want to stay here in this country anyways. The last three years has taught me more about dual tracking, lender protection, lies, and the lack of programs and resources that veteran homeowners have in not only fighting foreclosures, but in paying for good lawyers to defend homeowners, and avoiding foreclosures in the first place.
Evictions and foreclosures are huge contributors to veteran homelessness, and families are being forever changed as they are forced to try and make do and figure things out while the lenders and banks and investors take the homes, sell it for as much as they can and sue the homeowners for whatever the difference on top of legal fees! During the call in for making our 2nd "hardship forbearance payment" the lender representative i talked to actually had the balls to tell me: "If we were in the business of modifying loans to help families keep their homes, we'd be bankrupt!" Yes, she said exactly that! And the kicker is, its a flat out lie!! Lenders and mortgage companies make a fortune off of buying and selling home loans in distress, if they were so concerned about losing money, and going bankrupt, they wouldnt continue to buy seriously delinquent mortgages (ours was almost 2 yrs behind when it was sold off to lender B the Lender we have right now). But they are buying and selling delinquent home loans, sometimes several times at a time, and news flash...It costs the cities and states and federal government MORE to deal with homelessness and poverty than it does to work harder to help keep them in their homes. And its no secret, with the recent supreme court decision to further protect lenders and banks from homeowners in non judicial states, that it is the banks, investment firms, lenders and mortgage companies who hold all the cards and come out on top.
The stress, anxiety, tears and fears of fighting to keep your home is far worse and more than I had thought. I knew it wasnt going to be easy but I had no idea that it would take this long to just get help keeping our home after a job loss and months without employment caused us to rack up bills and additional debt. They can see and know that with every passing month that they took their time in reviewing our loan modification packet, was one more month of missed mortgage payment and more debt. The same things they would use to deny us help time after time after time. All of this just so they can take homes and move along, with little to no regard to the lives they ruin or tear apart. But, after all that we have gone through this far, I understand why so many actually just give up and leave their homes to be taken. For us, that is just not an option. We have nowhere else to go, and with our fruit trees in our yard and the damage this has caused our credit and finances, its fight or die trying.
Im glad to see new programs popping up for those veteran and civilians who have been on the street for so long, but we need to work faster and do more including increasing addiction and medical programs and services. AND we have to seriously do way more at helping veteran families facing eviction and foreclosures, stop these processes and protect them and help them so they dont actually end up on the streets. We are stuck in that demographic and we arent alone. I'll soon be sharing the stories I have collected now, from families past and present who have been through and are going through the same. Every little bit counts, but we can do better. They did their jobs and served their time, and should be protected and provided for for that service.
Comments
Post a Comment