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VOL. 10, NO. 29
Monrovia sees increase in homeless individuals living in cars Terry MILLER
A
tmiller@beaconmedianews.com
mericans are being driven from their homes, many into living in vehicles, in no small part due to the pandemic. And those numbers are likely to grow as the government safety net frays. Last month, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill extending California’s eviction moratorium through Sept. 30 but its end looms for many behind on rent. Even before the pandemic began, homelessness was on the rise. According to estimates of homelessness in the U.S. released by the Department of Housing and Urban Development in March, on a single night in 2020, about 580,000 Americans were experiencing homelessness — a 2% increase from 2019. The number of unsheltered individuals increased by 7% from 2019 to 2020. These numbers do not reflect the impact of the pandemic. "And we know the pandemic has only made the homelessness crisis worse," said Marcia Fudge, HUD
This car was seen in the Huntington Oak Center, where Kohl’s and other shops are located, in Monrovia on the afternoon of July 20, 2021. | Photo by Terry Miller / Beacon Media News
secretary. Living in vehicles seems more common these days, with retirees setting off on the open road in huge RVs and #VanLife trending across social media. But for many people spending their nights in vehicles, the reality is not at all glamorous.
In the San Gabriel Valley, Monrovia experienced a slight decrease in its total homeless population from a high of 80 in 2019 to 77 in 2020, according to data from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. However, there was an increase in the number of persons living in
cars from eight in 2019 to 21 in 2020, and city officials have taken notice. “In Monrovia, we do notice an increase in people living in their cars. I do not see any association with a particular cause, such as a ‘Venice Beach cleanup’ or anything else,” Monrovia
City Manager Dylan Feik told Beacon Media Tuesday morning. “At the moment, state and local law do not consider a person living in a car a crime. In fact, visibly seeing Californians living in their cars serves as a harsh reminder of the effects of the pandemic, a
decades-long housing crisis, and in some cases, the lack of available mental health care for vulnerable Californians. Vehicles are required to follow state vehicle code requirements such as valid See Monrovia homeless page 6