3,000 Homeless Youth in LA: How to Solve It
This podcast episode is sponsored by Pulse For Good—an automated feedback system that helps shelters, clinics, and community programs listen to the people they serve. Learn more at https://pulseforgood.com/invisiblepeople
In Los Angeles, more than 3,000 young people experience homelessness on any given night. Many come out of foster care or the juvenile justice system, and too often LGBTQ youth and youth of color are hit hardest. But there are proven solutions.
In this episode, I talk with Erika Hartman, CEO of Safe Place for Youth (SPY), about what actually works. From Host Homes to Housing First, SPY has grown from one Venice site to nine locations across LA County. Erika explains how trust, prevention, and youth-specific services can stop the pipeline into chronic adult homelessness—and why community opposition and funding cuts put this progress at risk.
Learn more or get involved: https://safeplaceforyouth.org
More:
Thrown Out, Left Behind: The Hidden Crisis Facing 2SLGBTQ+ Homeless Youth https://youtu.be/X8C_SgA0fPQ?si=kYVYQNMv_18D9jf_
This Woman's Final Day of Homelessness Will Move You https://youtu.be/sZQLMnF_y8k?si=D089Me5mn600lwxD
Homeless Hunger Games: Shelters, Soundbites, and a Sector at Breaking Point https://youtu.be/W3CJ8odlh8g?si=B1nLIJXMXefF8Fqf
Executive producer: Mark Horvath
Producer/editor/cinematographer: Alex Gasaway https://www.youtube.com/alexgasaway
Associate producer: Erin McGinnis
Created by: Alex Gasaway and Erin McGinnis
YouTube Podcast https://shorturl.at/XciIu
Apple Podcast https://apple.co/4cckQ86
Spotify https://spoti.fi/3XyM98c
00:00 — Youth Homelessness: The Alarming Stats
01:16 — Introducing Erica Hartman & SPY’s Mission
03:19 — From Therapy to Homeless Services: Erica’s Journey
05:21 — Why So Many Youth Become Homeless in L.A.
07:03 — Housing First for Youth: Stability Before Success
09:18 — Human Trafficking Dangers for Homeless Youth
10:28 — Venice Flagship Rebuilt: Housing + Drop-In Center
11:25 — Inside SPY Drop-Ins: Arts, Health, Jobs, Basic Needs
12:32 — Traveler Youth & Early Intervention Opportunities
14:00 — Emergency Shelter & Privately Funded Beds
14:37 — Racial Disparities & Building Trust with Youth
15:06 — Youth vs. Adult Services: Why Specialized Care Matters
16:12 — Foster Care Placements & Broken Attachments
18:35 — Success Story: From Host Homes to Advocacy
19:38 — Pregnant & Parenting Youth: Breaking the Cycle
21:39 — Venice Opposition: Myths vs. Reality
23:17 — Closing the West L.A. Youth Shelter & Its Fallout
26:18 — The Housing Bottleneck: Streets → Shelter → Homes
27:16 — Why Youth-Specific Funding Is Crucial
29:20 — SPY’s Future: Prevention, Advocacy, and Growth
31:22 — Youth Voices: Why They Trust SPY
31:56 — How You Can Help: Volunteer, Donate, Advocate
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About Invisible People
There is a direct correlation between what the general public perceives about homelessness and how it affects policy change. Most people blame homelessness on the person experiencing it instead of the increasing shortage of affordable housing, lack of employment, childhood trauma, lack of a living wage, or the countless reasons that put a person at risk. This lack of understanding creates a dangerous cycle of misperception that leads to the inability to effectively address the root causes of homelessness.
We imagine a world where everyone has a place to call home. Each day, we work to fight homelessness by giving it a face while educating individuals about the systemic issues that contribute to its existence. Through storytelling, education, news, and activism, we are changing the narrative on homelessness.
