Eric Zassenhaus/KPCC

With over 40,000 homeless living on its streets, Los Angeles is the homeless capital of the country. Nearly four thousand of those homeless men and women live on Skid Row.

Men, women, and children living on the streets, in their cars, in motels, or on the floors of friends– on any given day in Los Angeles County more than 50,000 people are homeless. The causes are complicated: loss of jobs, domestic violence, substance abuse, mental illness, rising health care costs, lack of affordable housing. And the challenges of maintaining a “normal” life while without stable shelter can be insurmountable. For almost 40 years, Rabbi Marv Gross has been in the forefront of the fight to help these families and single adults through his organization, Union Station Homeless Services.

Joined by a client of Union Station who was formerly homeless, Rabbi Gross talked with KPCC’s John Rabe and Gregg von Fempe, director of program services for the agency, for a first-hand view of life without a home. They discussed the reasons so many struggle with homelessness, how the situation has changed in the past few years, and how the community can help.

Moderator:

John Rabe, host, KPCC's Off-Ramp

Guests:

Rabbi Marv Gross, CEO, Union Station Homeless Services

Gregg von Fempe, director of program services, Union Station Homeless Services