I am incredibly saddened by the loss of my longtime friend Bill Rosendahl. His compassion, willingness to listen, and devotion to helping the most vulnerable were all the qualities you want in a representative. When I was the Mayor of Cerritos, Bill conducted my first public TV interview following the Cerritos Air Crash. His compassion and understanding for what the community and residents were going through helped the healing process begin, and fostered a great friendship that spanned 30 years. While Bill was on the city council, we worked together to solve a number of issues including Marina del Rey and LAX. He was the definition of a true public servant—doing everything he could to make the neighborhoods he represented a better place for everyone to live, work, and play. Bill’s family and loved ones are in our thoughts and prayers.

Miguel Hernandez is the first homeless veteran to benefit from the Landlord Veteran Incentive Program (Landlord VIP), administered by the Housing Authority of the County of Los Angeles (HACoLA). Hernandez received keys to his apartment on March 1, just one week after the unit passed inspection and the landlord received incentive monies.  

Hernandez proudly served four years in the United States Air Force, but like so many veterans, returned home and struggled to adapt to civilian life. He quickly found himself homeless, spending the last few years living in and out of hotel rooms in the Antelope Valley.

Even with the supportive services offered by People Assisting the Homeless’ (PATH) Veterans Connections Initiative, a partner of HACoLA, he struggled to find a home, encountering several landlords who were hesitant to rent to someone with a prior eviction.

The Landlord Veteran Incentive Program, which officially launched in January with the help of county funding, has been the solution Hernandez needed. It was designed to incentivize local LA County landlords with one month’s rental payment and an expedited process to get vetted veterans into an apartment who have secured a voucher through the Housing Authority.  

“This program is very good,” said Ka Mei Koo, the first landlord to utilize the incentive. “The veterans have a case manager to help them, and the program helps with the deposit so owners don’t need to worry about damages. An added bonus is I get to help a veteran that has fought for our nation.”

Incentivizes include one month’s rental payment to hold vacant units, and an expedited process to get veterans who have secured a VASH voucher through HACoLA, into an apartment or house. Landlords receive Fair Market Rent (FMR) amounts for the corresponding bedroom size of the unit being held.

With 4,000-plus homeless veterans in Los Angeles County, the challenge to find them housing and a stable place to live has been ongoing for years. On top of that, the number of available units is less than three percent in LA, placing homeless veterans at an even greater disadvantage since they are often competing with a population that doesn’t have some of the issues that come with having formerly served in the military.

“We needed to entice landlords to rent to a veteran,” said Margarita Lares, director for the LA County Housing Authority. “We understand the risks, but we’re hoping this incentive will encourage others to give it a try.”

Interested veterans are encouraged to contact the Greater Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center at (310) 478-3711. Landlords wanting to learn more about the program and the opportunity to help local veterans should e-mail HACoLA at LandlordVIP@hacola.org, or call (626) 586-1572. More information is also available on the website at www.hacola.org.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe is proud to announce that the County’s Safe Surrender Program celebrated success for the second time this month with the report of a safely surrendered newborn baby girl. This most recent Safe Surrender occurred on Monday, March 14 at a hospital in Santa Monica. A baby girl was also safely surrendered at a hospital in Los Angeles on March 7. As is standard practice, the newborn is in protective custody and will be placed with a family approved for adoption by the Department of Children and Family Services.

“I am thrilled that in the span of a week, two mothers made the better choice and gave their daughters a second chance at life by safely surrendering them at the hospital,” said Supervisor Knabe. “Thanks to the courage of these mothers, both girls now have the opportunity to grow up in a loving family.”

Despite the recent successes of the Safe Surrender program, some mothers who find themselves alone and in a desperate situation, feel like they have no options. This week, a mother who abandoned her baby near a Compton riverbed last November, was sentenced to 14 years in state prison after pleading guilty to attempted murder.

“The abandonment in Compton was a near tragedy that could have been completely avoided had the mother known she could safely surrender her baby,” said Supervisor Knabe. “It’s unconscionable to think that this mother had no one to turn to for help or guidance. These mothers often get pregnant in secret, hide their secret, and try to throw their secret away. Though we’ve been able to save the lives of 144 babies so far, we need to continue spreading the word that there is a safe, secure and anonymous way for mothers to get their baby into safe hands—at any fire station or hospital, any time—and protect them from abandonment—No Shame. No Blame. No Names.”

This is the second Safe Surrender in Los Angeles County in 2016, and the 144^th since the program began 15 years ago. The program was initiated by Supervisor Knabe and approved unanimously by the Board of Supervisors in 2001. It allows someone to surrender an infant that is no more than three days old, as long as the infant shows no signs of abuse.

To learn more about the Safe Surrender Program, visit BabySafeLA.org.

While the fight against child sex trafficking in Los Angeles County continues in our streets and neighborhoods, we are facing a new front in the war to end the commercial sexual exploitation of our young victims: the internet.

Last week, the Sheriff’s Department announced the arrests of three people who abducted and assaulted a young woman with the intent of selling her. They took photos of the victim and posted them on Backpage, a well known website that pimps and traffickers use to post classified ads of girls and sell them for sex.

This site is a marketplace for depraved child rapists, scumbag pimps, and predators to prey on young children who are forced to sell their bodies for sex night after night. Despite Visa and Mastercard pulling their support for Backpage, ads featuring juvenile girls continue to populate the site. Let me be clear: Backpage profits from the sale of children for sex and they’ve shown neither remorse nor a willingness to stop. Backpage has ignored multiple subpoenas related to an online sex trafficking investigation involving the site.

This Tuesday, I will ask the Board of Supervisors to ask our legislative staff in Washington, D.C. to support the passage of a Senate resolution to initiate civil contempt proceedings against Backpage. Many of our young victims here in Los Angeles County have been bought and sold on Backpage. Forcing Backpage to comply with the investigation will hopefully help stymie one of the most active and lucrative avenues for sex trafficking in the country.

There was a time – not so long ago – when the U.S. Postal Services refused to deliver mail to Andy Street, a one-block community comprised of 24 multi-family dwelling units located in the northeast section of Long Beach.

The drugs, gangs and violence were simply too much. Even the Long Beach Police Department had labeled it as a “hot spot” for crime in 2002, with multiple calls coming in daily for gunshots, murder and theft.

Fast forward to present day, and so much has changed, in large part to the efforts of LaVerne Duncan and the Andy Street Community Association (ASCA), a nonprofit that responded to a failed community and empowered it to create a better, safer, more vibrant space.

“It has taken a long time,” said Duncan, now executive director for Andy Street and an original member of the task force created to respond to the neighborhood’s issues back in 2002. “But we have come so far since those dark days.”

Since its inception, ASCA’s presence in the North Long Beach community has been a catalyst for neighborhood revitalization. Landlords were trained to work with the community, invest in security and landscaping, and partner with their tenants. Additionally, partnerships were built with the community and the Long Beach Police Department. As Duncan notes, everyone had a role to play. No one got a free pass.

Today, there is still the occasional police call, but they tend to be about loud music or other minor disruptions – not the violent crimes experienced so often in the early 2000s.

As such, the focus of Andy Street has evolved. With a safer community, Duncan and a few of her community partners have shifted to creating programs to support the youth in the neighborhood, investing in helping them recognize the importance of shaping their neighborhood’s success, and also delivering programs to inspire them to grow.

“Currently we have our music academy, where we offer free music lessons to children in the area,” said Duncan. “Instruments are provided, the kids learn how to read music and we are fortunate to have Charles Julian Fearing, a multi-platinum selling songwriter working with the students.”

Additionally, ASCA is bringing back cooking classes this spring to teach children the basics of healthy eating, meal prep and how to make their own meals. Molina Healthcare, based in Long Beach, has offered up their corporate kitchen to host the classes, and a local Wal-Mart will donate ingredients.

“Not every kid is going to play football and basketball,” said Duncan. “We want to give them different options to pursue, and expose them to other areas to get inspired and learn.”

ASCA has also funded seven scholarships via their annual fundraisers, helping local youth with expenses to attend college.

“Youth is our future, and we need to keep offering quality life programming to get our kids successful and striving to reach goals,” said Duncan.

ASCA touches an average of 75 to 100 kids annually, and all funding is directed to programming.

“It has been so rewarding to see the Andy Street neighborhood come so far through the years,” said LA County Supervisor Don Knabe. “Today, they serve as a blueprint for similar communities in the county that struggle with crime, violence, unemployment and beyond. LaVerne and her team should be commended for the transformation. It is truly amazing, and a testament to what can be achieved when the community comes together and forms partnerships to change.”

To learn more about Andy Street, and how you can support or participate in its efforts, visit andystreetlb.org.

Next weekend, March 3-6, San Pedro will once again provide a number of grand showings when it hosts the 13th annual LA Harbor International Film Festival (LAHIFF) at the historic Warner Grand Theatre.

“The LAHIFF showcases film and video that reflects the harbor and all that it embraces – shipping and commerce, fishing, sailing, water sports, sea life and the area’s rich ethnic and cultural influences – to create a cinematic bridge between the people of the region and the people of the world,” said Stephanie Mardesich, director and founder of LAHIFF. “It really is a fabulous event that celebrates the art of film, in tradition of old Hollywood, with an eye to the current cinema.”

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The festival is open to the public with a sampling below of the different films and events:

Thursday, March 3

Festivities begin on Thursday with the free education outreach program “Read the book, See the Movie” (RBSM) Culmination Program. Thousands of books have been distributed to students and community members since 2004. This year’s selection is The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. After reading the book, students gather at the Warner Grand Theatre to watch the film version of the book.

Friday, March 4, 8 p.m.

In association with The Big Read L.A. (TBRLA) selection Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, the film version Fahrenheit 451 (Universal, 1966, 112 min; directed by Francois Truffaut) will be shown in 35mm at 8 p.m. Preceding the movie, readers are invited to participate in a discussion of the book in the lobby of the Warner Grand at 7 p.m. Admission to the screening is free for those who have read, are reading or will read the book.

Saturday, March 5, 1 p.m.

New Filmmakers LA (NFMLA) “On Location Program” Showcase of Short Films (19 films, one to five minutes in length) will kick off Saturday, highlighting neighborhoods of LA County. Founded in 2007, NFMLA has established itself as a significant gathering advocate for independent cinema with over 20,000 constituents in the Los Angeles community, screening over 750 films from over 48 countries. In addition to fostering the advancement of new filmmakers and its members, NFMLA’s objective is to promote the economic, educational, social, and cultural advancement of filmmaking, arts and culture in the community. 

Saturday, March 5, 7 p.m.

The evening of March 5, the Hollywood Nostalgia Tribute (HNT) features CAN-CAN (20tth Century Fox, 1960, 131 min.; directed by Walter Lang). The Academy Award, Golden Globe, DGA and WGA -nominated film adaptation of the  acclaimed Broadway musical stars Shirley MacLaine, Frank Sinatra, Louis Jourdan, and Maurice Chevalier; and introduced famed dancer Juliet Prowse. General admission for the film program is $10; no discounts.

Sunday, March 6, 1 p.m.

“DocSunday” is presented by new Associate Sponsor the Tensor Foundation. Devoted to the documentary genre, the films are all POLA premieres beginning with filmmakers and others participating in “conversation and Q&A” after the screenings. The opening program at 1 p.m. is  Marsha Hunt’s Sweet Adversity, the story of  actress/activist  Marsha Hunt (now 98 years old) who was living the “American Dream” when her career was eclipsed, along with many industry professionals, and unfairly “blacklisted” during the Communist “Red” Scare. She ultimately triumphed over adversity, continuing to work on stage and television, becoming one of Hollywood’s first celebrity activists. 

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“This culturally rich event will encourage residents of Los Angeles County and beyond to discover and appreciate everything San Pedro has to offer,” said LA County Supervisor Don Knabe. “I am happy to continue supporting such a valued and creative endeavor that will inspire the audience to appreciate the art of cinema and also encourage local filmmakers.”

General admission for the festival programs is $10; $8 with discount for affiliations (with LAMM, GVF, SPAA and Hollywood Heritage) seniors and students. Opening night tickets are $10; no discounts for the Hollywood Nostalgia Tribute. Free Admission for U.S. Veterans and those currently serving in military forces will be available on a first-come, first-seated basis. Film program tickets can be purchased at www.brownpapertickets.com, or (800) 838-3006; and at the box office (cash only) during the festival dates one hour before program times.  

Homelessness.  It’s an issue that is big in the news right now as jurisdictions across the country wrestle with the horrible problem of people living in the streets.  It is especially sad when you realize the numbers of veterans and children.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is making its second big push on homelessness within the last 10 years.  I think we learned a great deal in the past decade and we accomplished a great deal.  Our County safety net has assisted millions of people and their families, keeping many of them out of homelessness.  We have also housed thousands of people through expansion of service models that have been proven to work, such as permanent supportive housing, coordinated case management, consistent, sustained street outreach, and targeted programs and services for veterans.  I am particularly proud that we established strong working relationships with cities on this issue, and I am hopeful that the new, more coordinated strategies before the Board will truly enhance what we have built.

Unfortunately, the increased numbers of homeless we are seeing are not a reflection of the intense efforts going on every day and night to identify, assist and house people on the streets.  The last homeless count clearly illustrated this frustrating conundrum; despite housing more than 4000 homeless veterans in a historic effort, nearly the exact same numbers of homeless veterans were found on the streets of Los Angeles County. 

Homelessness challenges our systems of care and our safety net to the absolute limit.  It is forcing us to rethink all of our notions of how we create, fund and deliver services to those most in need.   And to me, that’s a good thing, because many of these strategies demand collaboration and integration across all of our County departments.  These strategies are also requiring us to look at how we release individuals from our jails and our hospitals, and how we can better calibrate our discharge policies towards housing and services.

Another strategy that I am particularly interested in is providing new training for law enforcement and first responders on how to approach homeless individuals and assist them.  For many years, I brought together law enforcement and mental health professionals to talk about how best to engage the mentally ill and how to avoid a tragic outcome.  This is as timely a subject as it gets.

Another aspect to all of this is the funding.  Currently, we spend $965 million per year on services related to homelessness.  A recent study by LAHSA states that we will have to identify another $1 billion over the next five years to house and serve all of the homeless that are on the streets currently. 

The numbers are breathtaking, no doubt.  But we are looking at ways to approach it.  Frankly, we don’t have a choice.  Half of the $100 million that will be appropriated this week is one-time funds.  The other half is coming from County departments.  Our staff estimates that implementation of these strategies will result in approximately 3,500 persons exiting homelessness and 2,000 persons prevented from becoming homeless by June 2017.  For a smaller jurisdiction, that may be great, but not for the largest County in America.  So, a long-term solution will be needed.  A real possibility is to better leverage federal housing vouchers to house more homeless: more people than we have ever housed before.  We will also be looking at the potential of new State funding to construct more housing for the homeless, to coincide with all of the new services we are rolling out.

Ten years ago, the County very publicly took on this challenge.  We have been grappling with it ever since, but I believe that with these new strategies and this renewed commitment, we will see much better results a decade from now, if not sooner. 

With 4,000-plus homeless Veterans in Los Angeles County, the challenge to find them housing and a stable place to live has been ongoing for years.

While various initiatives have been implemented, barriers have prevented the kind of success civic and community leaders have desired.

“We’ve seen federal dollars dedicated to health and rental assistance since 2009 with the Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) Program and it was a great start,” said Margarita Lares, Director of the Assisted Housing Division for the Housing Authority of the County of Los Angeles. “But we soon discovered the many barriers related to housing homeless Veterans. We’re hoping we now have a solution with our all-new Landlord Veteran Incentive Program.”

With the help of County funding, the Landlord Veteran Incentive Program, referred to as “Landlord VIP,” officially launched in January 2016, and is designed to incentivize local Los Angeles County landlords by providing one month’s rental payment to hold vacant units and an expedited process to get vetted Veterans into an apartment or house who have secured a VASH voucher through the Housing Authority.

While the VASH Program has existed for several years, Lares noted that there was still a concerning gap for Veterans in their quest to secure housing.

“Homeless Veterans are left to locate housing on their own in addition to coming up with money to complete a rental application and pay for a security deposit,” said Lares. “The VASH program does not assist with the up-front costs associated with securing a rental unit, and that has been a huge barrier for Veterans.

“We needed another pocket of money to bridge the gap and help these individuals with move-in costs, such as, deposit and utility startup costs that are needed just to get their feet in the door,” said Lares.

On top of that, the number of available units is less than three percent in Los Angeles, placing homeless Veterans at an even greater disadvantage since they are often competing with non-subsidized renters that don’t have some of the issues faced by homeless Veterans.

“We need to entice landlords to rent to a Veteran and we believe that the Landlord VIP is the solution” said Lares. “We understand the risks, but we’re hoping this incentive will encourage them to give it a try.”

Additionally, Lares stated that the Housing Authority will intervene on behalf of the landlord if any issues or concerns arise after a Veteran is housed.

Over 400 Veterans currently have Los Angeles County VASH vouchers in hand, however they are struggling to find units and secure housing. This is a reoccurring issue for the Housing Authority as they have witnessed an alarming 643 VASH Vouchers expire since the inception of their VASH program. This is proof that there is a gap of services for Veterans in their quest to secure housing.

“Helping our Veterans secure housing is a fundamental step in improving their quality of life,” said LA County Supervisor Don Knabe. “It can be a start to going back to school, landing a stable job and giving them a chance at a brighter future.

“These men and women have sacrificed so much for us and our country – we must find a way to provide homes for our heroes.”

Interested Veterans are encouraged to contact the Greater Los Angeles VAMC at 310-478-3711. If you are a landlord wanting to learn more about this program and the opportunity to help local Veterans, please e-mail the Housing Authority at LandlordVIP@hacola.org , or call (626)586-1572. You can also visit the website at www.hacola.org.

The Bellflower Symphony Orchestra, formed in 1965, has gifted the local community with music for decades, but when Joseph R. Taylor took the conductor’s stand in 1991, the Los Angeles native revitalized the organization’s emphasis on youth.

Taylor, who has taught instrumental music, language arts and math in middle schools with the Compton and Los Angeles Unified School Districts for 30 years, elected to found the Bellflower Young Artist Concerto Competition in 1990, just before being named the conductor. The program has since flourished, and will soon see new talent this spring.

Tryouts for this year’s Young Artists’ Night will be held on Feb. 20. Applications, available on the website, are being accepted now. Up to 60 youth musicians will be invited to compete for a coveted spot to perform on April 23 with the Bellflower Symphony.

“We receive applications from students from Santa Barbara to San Diego to Los Angeles,” said Dorothy Westrup, president of the Bellflower Symphony. “There are few competitions like this in Southern California, so we draw a lot of interest.”

The competition is divided into three age categories: juniors (13 and under), intermediates (14 through 17) and seniors (18 through 22). First- and second-place winners from each category will be invited to perform solos, supported by the larger adult symphony, at the April concert held at the 340-seat William & Jane Bristol Civic Auditorium.

“Playing with a real orchestra is a big deal for these young musicians,” said Westrup. “It’s an amazing experience that is both difficult and different – not at all like their typical performances with smaller groups.”

All musicians are welcome, and Westrup notes they have had students play everything from violins to guitars to piano and horns.

“It is a special evening,” said Westrup. “Our community really enjoys this event and takes pride in promoting our young artists.”

In addition to the anticipated “Young Artists’ Night,” the 2016 season features a concert every season.

On Jan. 30, audience members will enjoy a “Night at the Opera.” In the summer, the Bellflower Symphony will perform a “Concert in the Park” at Caruthers Park. Finally, in November, a final performance will be held on Nov. 19, once again at the William & Jane Bristol Civic Auditorium.

Admission is free for Bellflower residents. Individual concert tickets are $12 for adults, and $10 for students and seniors. For more ticket information, call 562-867-4871 or visit http://www.bellflowersymphony.org/concerts.html.