CSUN On Point

Every City Council District in Los Angeles is supposed to find a place for bridge housing, and every district has, except for ONE, and that’s the Northwest Valley. Bridge housing is paid for by $1.2 billion in funding from Proposition HHH, approved by Los Angeles voters in November 2016.  Since then, homelessness in the Northwest Valley has increased. Housing in the city has become very expensive, which most experts agree is a main cause of the increase in homelessness. According to Los Angeles Mission, 53,195 people in the Los Angeles County are experiencing homelessness. Three out of four are unsheltered. Over the last year, 9,322 people experienced homelessness for the first time. 

“It’s an issue that affects families, senior citizens, anybody from the spectrum of our society,”  San Fernando Valley homeless advocate Thomas Booth said. Booth said homeless people are often thought to be dangerous and alarming, but in fact, any one in any community can end up living on the streets.

“There is often a misconception,” said Ken Craft, CEO of Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission. “Everyone assumes that the homeless are either drug addicts, mentally ill, or that they are lazy, and they don’t want to work.”

Craft said his experience has allowed him to understand more fully why so many people end up homeless. Craft said the homeless are often people who are going through a hard time in their life, because of financial setbacks, health difficulties, or problems in their domestic situation, and those difficulties cause them to lose a stable home. But, Craft said, living on the streets, even for just a few days, can lead to exhaustion, despair and fear, then to mental illness, and sometimes to drug addiction. That makes it difficult to be open to receiving the care necessary to get back to a stable situation. It’s a good thing that there are drug addiction clinics that can help us during our journey.

It’s not always drug addiction and mental illness that lead to homelessness, Craft said. “We have discovered that some people fall into homelessness, and being homeless can be an onset to mental illness.”

Craft and Booth said they believe that housing is a necessary first step to help get people out of the streets, and into a safe and stable environment. “If we can get people into housing,” Craft said, “it will help with barriers leading to mental illness.” 

Different kinds of housing programs exist to help: affordable housing and supportive housing. Affordable housing is for people who need assistance with more than just housing. Supportive housing helps only with housing, by giving subsidies to those who need assistance.

But when a proposal to put affordable housing in the Northwest Valley reached the community, some parents said they were upset about “homeless” people living in residential neighborhoods, and they said they feared for their children. “There is no known statistics that signify in increase in crime rate [in areas with supportive housing],” Booth said.

Now developers of the proposal to build bridge housing in the Northwest Valley must continue to try to convince residents and voters to accept their plan.

Moderator: Rudy Aguado

Producer: Emmanuelle Yang

Anchor: Matt Roth

Social Media Editor: Leslie Estrada

Reporters: Rudy Aguado, Leslie Estrada, Mario Ahmir Lawson, Matt Roth and Emmanuelle Yang

Like much of Los Angeles, the neighborhoods of the San Fernando Valley are changing. In cities like Reseda, once-vibrant commercial districts lie dormant. But residents and city officials are working together to revitalize the city streets and promote a sense of community.

The Reseda Artwalk, held on Sept. 22 on Sherman Way in Reseda, drew thousands for the fourth consecutive year. Local artists, vendors, and performers lined the street, which was shut down for the event. By showcasing the diverse creative community living in the area, the event’s organizers hope to create a sense of pride among residents.

“Historically there’s a stigma to the valley, and it’s not a cool place to be,” said Addy Gonzalez-Renteria, co-founder and co-director of 11:11 A Creative Collective, the nonprofit arts organization behind the event. “We wanted to beautify and revitalize our neighborhood through the arts.”

The event is part of Councilmember Bob Blumenfield’s Reseda Rising initiative, which aims to revitalize consumer interest and community pride in the Reseda area.

“Part of what [Blumenfield] is doing with the initiative is drawing the consumer focus and the resident focus back to that area, to let them know that there are fun, safe, interesting things to do here, that you want to come do,” said Tricia Robbins, Economic Development Director for Blumenfield’s office.

As rent continues to rise throughout the Los Angeles area, the idea of gentrification is often debated. Central to this issue is displacement, when people who can no longer afford to live in a gentrified area are forced to move.

“I think we all want to live in a safe, clean, nice-looking place, and I think gentrification can offer that,” Gonzalez-Renteria said, “but I think displacement is the one issue that we need to look at very closely,”

Professor Robert Kent, Chair of CSUN’s Urban Studies and Planning Department, said that he doesn’t see gentrification as much of an issue in the San Fernando Valley yet, but it could be in the future. Blumenfield’s Reseda Rising initiative, if successful, could bring a new set of challenges down the road.

“If they’re very successful in creating a sense of place down along Reseda, in ten or fifteen years we may be looking at some kind of gentrification,” Kent said. There are things a city can do to avoid the pitfalls of gentrification, however. “You try to mitigate the negative aspects through positive social programs,” he said.

Some residents are wary of change, especially when spurred by local government.

“We want to see the community improve, but we do not want gentrification forced upon us by the city,” said Garrett Frank, a local activist.

By working alongside city officials, Gonzalez-Renteria said she hopes to change this narrative, focusing on “the intersection between urban development and cultural development.”

“I think adding this level of consciousness into development is really important,” Gonzalez-Renteria said.

Reseda may be changing, but local elected officials said they hope that, by maintaining focus on the community, the process will be beneficial for current and prospective residents alike.

“I think that we, as a Council office, are trying our best to generate positive change and bring everyone along with us, so that it doesn’t push folks out,” Robbins said.

Anchor: Jenny Almanza

Moderator: Vivian Rayos

Producer: Tamie Benitez

Social Media Editor: Damian Gordon

Reporters: Jenny Almanza, Tamie Benitez, Damian Gordon, Vivian Rayos and Joe Willeford

More than 1.5 million Los Angeles residents are suffering from food insecurities. Many of those residents cannot afford to buy food for themselves and their families.

Los Angeles County has one of the largest food insecure populations in the United States. Food insecurity affects not only those who are living below the poverty line. Even families who live above the poverty line deal with the expense of groceries. Hunger can cause people to lose their balance, not function appropriately and effectively, and experience emotional, physical and mental problems.

“Food is an important thing,” M.E.N.D (Meet Each Need with Dignity) Food Bank Director Richard Weinroth said. “[It’s] more than just dinner. When there is no food, life is a struggle. Food is a powerful thing.”

Hunger may threaten nearly 50 percent of college students, and many students report food insecurities. Hunger is a major problem at both two-year and four-year institutions. Nearly 60 percent of food insecure students reported having a job, and almost 40 percent of those students report that they work more than 20 hours or more per week. Researchers from the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness found that being enrolled in an on-campus meal plan does not eliminate food insecurity.

“You cannot be a successful student if you are hungry,” said Professor Shira Brown, Director of CSUN’s Women’s Research and Resource Center. “It’s really hard to concentrate on doing just about anything when you’re hungry.”

The WRRC’s Food Pantry is open to all students with an ID, and offers food, as well as basic necessities like shampoo and toothpaste. CSUN students also have access to the CSUN Food Pantry at no cost. And food pantries operate in many locations throughout the San Fernando Valley.  Los Angeles County has almost 200 food pantries: the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, World Harvest Food Bank, L.A Works and many more.

“Everybody at some point may need a food pantry,” said Manny Flores, the Community Liaison of North Valley Caring Services. “And in our neighborhood, it could be mostly at the end of the month, when people need to make ends meets. That’s when you see our pantry lines grow substantially. Through our pantry, you can get a well balanced meal. We’re putting about a hundred dollars of food in our baskets every week per household.”

“I’m really lucky,” Weinroth said. “M.E.N.D has been around for nearly 50 years, so we’ve got a lot of neighborhood recognition. We are a volunteer-driven organization. We have so many pans, and so many pots. We have medical, dental and vision. We have education and training on-site as well. We have the food department, we have homeless services, we have our clothing center. We have been collaborating with so many organizations throughout the community for a very long time. We help feed over 20,000 people a month. We all come together as a community, [because] it takes a village.”

Moderator: Trevor Edwards

Producer: Dana Lites

Anchor: Char’Tre Steward

Social Media Editors: Cynthia Marin and Noemi Salcedo

Reporters: Trevor Edwards, Dana Lites, Cynthia Marin, Noemi Salcedo, Char’Tre Steward and Flor Tolentino

The Mural Mile is transforming Pacoima. More than 50 murals are in the area surrounding Pacoima City Hall. Most of the artists who display their work are locals, who say it’s their way of giving back to the community.

“I wanted to paint murals, and there’s no doubt my mind that I wanted to bring it to Pacoima with the idea of changing the face of the neighborhood,” mural artist Levi Ponce said. “I know people have always been painting murals in Pacoima, and there’s always been painters, but I was the one who came about and called it a revolution.”

Many people in Pacoima are contributing to the revolution to help beautify the city in many different ways. The environmental non-profit Pacoima Beautiful has been implementing initiatives to clean up the city since 1996.

“Pacoima, unfortunately, has one of the highest asthma rates in the nation,” said Sandra Ramirez, Cultural Arts Director of Pacoima Beautiful. “We are an environmental justice organization of its own in the community, and … we also do a lot of work around just [to create] access to public spaces and green spaces.”

The art revolution is also gaining momentum; many new artists are emerging to show off their talents to the residents of Pacoima.

“My favorite is painting on the public streets of Pacoima,” artist Desi Sanchez said, “and being able to interact with the people passing by. That’s the best part. Sometimes I’ll try to paint slower, so I have to be out there for more days and make my time longer, because once my painting is over, that’s it, my interaction with the community is done, and that piece is up. But the people they love it. They love seeing someone paint.”

The artists who work on the Mural Mile are asked to go through a selection process through city hall, but some artists say they prefer to defy the process and do their own street art, which is illegal and therefore may be whitewashed and painted over.

“I think when you put something that big up in a public space, there are always going to be opinions,” Ponce said. “Every mural is controversy. You have to push forward, and I always said it’s about the bigger picture. It’s not about any individual mural, it’s about my work as a whole.”

Moderator: Cynthia Marin

Producer: Dana Lites

Anchor: Flor Tolentino

Social Media Editors: Dana Lites and Char’Tre Steward

Reporters: Trevor Edwards, Dana Lites, Cynthia Marin, Noemi Salcedo, Char’Tre Steward and Flor Tolentino

Los Angeles is the most congested city in the nation, according to INRIX, a transportation and traffic data analysis company.

That’s one reason L.A. is pushing for improved public transportation options to encourage more residents to get out of their cars and use public transportation.

After voters approved Measure R in 2008, L.A. made some steps to improve its public transportation options. But one key part of town was left out of those measures: the San Fernando Valley.

Now, city and transit officials are trying to change that. The Metropolitan Transit Authority has proposed a new $120 billion plan that would include funding for a tunnel through the Sepulveda Pass, toll roads on the 105 and 405 freeways, and extensions to other light rail routes in the city.

At Cal State Northridge, some 59 percent of students drive alone to school and 73 percent of the faculty and staff drive to school, according to a recent study done by CSUN’s Institute for Sustainability. Some 200,000 vehicles come to campus in an average week.

“In the Valley, public transportation has been overlooked for years,” said Ken Premo, the manager of Support Services for Associated Students at CSUN. “There is limited service, and any student who comes to the university knows that they can’t easily get from place to place. There’s not a lot of stops and there’s not a lot of options.”

It can take some students up to two hours one way to get to campus via public transportation, Premo said. The students also have to make transfers on and off buses multiple times in order to get to campus.

“A robust transit system that serves the needs of our students means a student would be able to better balance a very busy class schedule and a part time job,” CSUN’s President Dr. Dianne Harrison said at the Valley Transportation Summit in March.

But not everyone thinks adding more public transit options is the solution. The Metropolitan Transit Authority reported in January that it lost more than 10 percent of its boardings from 2006 to 2015. The Times also said Metro has fewer boardings than it did three decades ago.

Larry Isrow, CSUN’s Parking and Transportation Services Manager, said ridership has declined across the region because transit routes aren’t convenient.

“We did a study on campus that showed that 57 percent of people would be inclined to take the bus if they only had to take one bus,” Isrow said. “Once you have to start making transfers, it becomes inconvenient and too time consuming, and people won’t do that.”

According to CSUN data, half of the university’s population lives within a ten mile radius from campus. That’s why Isrow believes CSUN should be a transportation hub.

“We would like to see the transit center connect with the proposed East Valley Transit Corridor via Nordhoff Street,” Isrow said. “We’d also like to see the [CSUN] transit center have improvements made to it, so we could increase the volume and number of lines that are coming into there.”

State Senator Bob Hertzberg, a Democrat representing the 18th District in the San Fernando Valley, agreed that CSUN should be a transportation hub.

“If you go and show a big picture map of the Valley, and you include a bus rapid transit coming down Nordhoff and one coming up Reseda, it sends a message that the Northwest Valley is included as part of this larger transportation plan,” Hertzberg said. “The Northeast Valley benefits because so many students from CSUN come from the Northeast Valley. It fundamentally completes the picture of the San Fernando Valley.”

While cities like New York, Chicago, Boston, and Washington D.C. may have been built for public transportation use, L.A. has more suburban ground to cover and may seem better suited for the car. But CSUN Urban Studies and Planning Professor Craig Olwert said it is not too late for L.A. to get into the public transportation game.

“The subway system has been fairly successful and the Orange Line has been very successful,” Olwert said. “There is a demand for [public transit] and as we keep allowing more high density to be built around those stations, eventually you’ll start seeing an increase in ridership.”

Ultimately, the decision to bring more transit options to the Valley may be be left in the hands of voters. If the new plan is approved by the Metro Board of Directors in June, it will go on the November ballot, where it will need two-thirds approval to pass.

Moderator: Jarvis Haren

Anchor: Mariah Robinson

Producer: Jarvis Haren

Social Media Editors: Ayo Adelaja and Haley Kramer

Reporters: Ayo Adelaja, Harry Bennett III, Jarvis Haren, Valerie Hernandez, Sofia Levin and Mariah Robinson

On Point’s Sharonna Allahyar talks to former gang member Jose Ruiz about growing up the San Fernando Valley’s notorious Witch’s Hat. Cloud & Fire Ministry’s Executive Director Melody Rossi and clinical psychologist Elizabeth Powell help explain the challenges Ruiz faced, and offer some solutions.