City, county leaders tackle homeless crisis on Eyewitness Newsmakers

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Eyewitness Newsmakers tackles the homeless crisis in a round table discussion with the city and county leaders on the issue: County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl and L.A. City Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson.

They are taking a regional approach to the 44,000 living on the streets county-wide. Of those, 26,000 are in the city. The city and county have the most chronically homeless in the country.

Harris-Dawson discussed his position paper released at his recent South Los Angeles Homelessness Forum. One finding: Though African Americans are 9 percent of L.A.'s population, they are 47 percent of the homeless.

Though millions are spent each year on homeless issues and crime, the Newsmakers guests made the case for more housing and support services that would focus on a solution, rather than a revolving door in and out of jails and hospitals.

It's a billion dollar solution without full funding. Supervisor Kuehl and Councilmember Harris-Dawson talked about a tax increase and developer fees to generate the revenue.

Eyewitness Newsmakers airs Sunday morning at 11 a.m. on ABC7.