What We’re Reading: Homelessness in L.A. Is Finally Declining

What We’re Reading: Homelessness in L.A. Is Finally Declining

Welcome back to our weekly behind-the-scenes glimpse at what’s getting our team talking. Let us know what you think at [email protected].

Housing Angelenos

Homelessness has been a major issue in Los Angeles since the 1980s, when housing development failed to keep pace with population growth. But according to a Bloomberg CityLab story shared by RTBC Executive Editor Will Doig, a recent survey found that the number of unhoused people in L.A. is now declining.

Will says:

L.A.’s struggle to deal with homelessness might finally be showing early signs of success: The number of unhoused folks there has fallen for two straight years, following a wave of measures that increased access to housing and mental health treatment.

Sobriety pays

Last year, Contributing Editor Michaela Haas reported for RTBC on the impressive impacts of programs that offer drug users cash incentives drug users to stay sober. Now, a New York Times story shared by Contributing Editor Geetanjali Krishna explores the success of such programs in treating meth addiction, following the sobriety journey of a woman enrolled in a program that rewarded her with modest amounts of cash every time she tested negative for meth.

Geetanjali says:

I found this solution interesting because at first I thought it was too transactional to work, that the impetus for sobriety should come from within, and not through an external motivation. But then I was surprised to read that such payments, known as contingency management in technical parlance, are widespread. Some insurance companies are covering it, as are some telehealth apps. Over 8,000 U.S. vets have benefited from it, and it’s a part of the federal health program, too.

What else we’re reading

🤰 City leaders tout doula initiative progress, though gaps remain — shared by Editorial Director Rebecca Worby from Healthbeat

🍵 Tariffs give the U.S.’s only native caffeinated plant a shot at stardom — shared by Michaela Haas from the Washington Post

🐟 Teeny Tiny Trackers Take to the Water — shared by Rebecca Worby from bioGraphic

In other news…

Our summer membership drive was a stunning success. In just two weeks, 703 new supporters joined the Reasons to be Cheerful community. We were blown away when 538 people joined during our summer 2024 drive, and now we’ve exceeded that number by a whopping 26 percent! 

Members new and old, we can’t thank you enough — you make this work possible.

(Missed the drive? It’s never too late to become a sustaining member.)