A decade gone, and hundreds of millions of dollars spent in Los Angeles to address poverty and homelessness, and civic leaders are still dismayed at the lack of change in the qualify of life for Angelenos.
Ten years ago, the United Way of Greater Los Angeles published a study on the state of Los Angeles County called, “A Tale of Two Cities.” The assessment described a bleak picture of a region filled with immense wealth and extreme poverty.
Today, an updated study continues to portray a dreary outlook on this region of ten million inhabitants where its middle class is decreasing dramatically and one in five children live in poverty.
“It's been ten years since we coined the term ‘working poor’ and it’s clear that Los Angeles County’s economic and social sustainability is severely threatened,” said Elise Buik, president and CEO of United Way of Greater Los Angeles. “We need to invest in our human capital in order to meet the growing economic and social demands we’re facing now.”
The study’s findings are alarming:
* The average (median) worker in L.A. County saw their salary (adjusted for inflation) decline nearly 2 dollars an hour since 1988.
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* More than 93,000 families in L.A. County earn less than $10,000 a year.
* Los Angeles County is the homeless capital of the nation.
* 15% of the total population live in poverty.
The picture of economic disparity continues today. The study reveals that there are 250,000 millionaires and 1.4 million people struggling with poverty in Los Angeles County. There are very few regions in the world with such extremities.
Advocates for the poor are hoping a new call to civic, philanthropic and business leaders might change the course of poverty in this county.
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