Western Diocese Teams Up With La Mayor’s Office To Combat Homelessness In Los Angeles

On November 14, 2016, the Primate and the members of the Agape Circle welcomed Alisa Orduña, homeless policy director of the City of Los Angeles to the Headquarters of the Western Diocese. Miss Orduña informed the Primate and the Agape Circle about the seriousness of homelessness in the City of Los Angeles and Mayor Eric Garcetti’s initiative called the Welcome Home project in combating it.

Thoughts and ideas were exchanged to explore avenues of collaboration between the Mayor’s Office and the Western Diocese not only in addressing the issue but helping to eliminate it.

Homelessness was also the main topic in a meeting between The Los Angeles Council of Religious Leaders and LA Mayor Eric Garcetti in September 2016. The Most Rev. Bishop Jon Bruno and the Los Angeles Council of Religious Leaders (LACRL) welcomed Mayor Eric Garcetti and homeless policy officer Alisa Orduna to the Cathedral Center of St. Paul on Tuesday, September 12, 2016 to focus on L.A. city interfaith partnerships for building housing and related social services. L.A. Council of Religious Leaders endorsed Prop HHH on November ballot to seek $1.2 billion in new funding to house the homeless.

Reflecting on the serious issue of homelessness in Los Angeles, the Diocesan Primate Archbishop Hovnan Derderian commended Mayor Eric Garcetti’s initiative of the Welcome Home project. “As religious institutions, it is our moral obligation to capitalize on this forum in order to continue the mission and educate the people about shared responsibilities. Every single person can and should give for the noble cause. Our Diocese and the community of Los Angeles will be committed to the initiative,” said Archbishop Derderian.

On November 8, 2016, Los Angeles voters passed Proposition HHH, which will raise $1.2 billion to help the city's homeless get off the streets and into housing.

The measure should bring about 7,000 units of permanent supportive housing for the city's most vulnerable and chronically homeless, according to the group People Assisting The Homeless.