SoCal Connected

Interview: A Different Kind Of Homeless Shelter

2009-11-19T22:40:09Z

Tim Peters says he and his family chose to live in Los Angeles' skid row for 15 years in service to its residents. Here he describes the transitional housing program Door of Hope, which was set up in Pasadena in 1985 to assist homeless families with children. Peters is executive director of the program.

After the video, be sure to watch correspondent Lisa Ling's segment Hidden Homeless, which uncovers the increase in middle-class homeless families.

And don't miss Ling's interview on KPCC.

Other Resources:

Steve Lopez Commentary

2009-11-19T21:06:47Z

LA TImes columnist Steve Lopez knows something about the homeless. His columns about the homeless were the inspiration for the Hollywood film, The Soloist.

When Lopez read a recent report claiming homelessness in LA had recently dropped by more than a third, he knew something about those numbers must be fishy.

Lopez not only questions the survey, he worries the report may hurt social service agency, who continue to struggle to provide for the homeless.

Web Extras:

The Young and the Homeless
Homelessness is painful enough, but especially so for the young. Some disturbing facts about the number of children with no place to call home.

Mortgage Scams

2009-11-19T20:12:05Z

Desperate homeowners facing foreclosure are increasingly falling for ploys that promise to help them save their homes, but leave them worse off than they were before. Consumer columnist David Lazarus offers a cautionary tale inside the often shady world of "mortgage modification."

Web Extras:

The Art of the Mortgage Scam
As foreclosures rise, so do scams that target desperate homeowners. Find out how to avoid being taken, and what to do if you suspect fraud.

Mortgage Scams? Who Can Afford A Mortgage?
For large numbers of workers in the LA area, getting scammed over a mortgage isn't a concern. They don't earn enough to come close to owning a home.

Hidden Homeless

2009-11-19T19:05:18Z

The LA area has a higher rate of homelessness than any other metropolitan area in the country. And with the recession, and the housing collapse, many of those joining the ranks of the homeless are formerly solid, middle-class working families. Correspondent Lisa Ling reports on what some are calling the Hidden Homeless.

Also, don't miss Ling's interview on KPCC.

Web Extras:

The Young and the Homeless
Homelessness is painful enough, but especially so for the young. Some disturbing facts about the number of children with no place to call home.

A Different Kind Of Homeless Shelter
An interview with the executive director of Door of Hope, a transitional housing program that serves homeless families with young children.

Other Resources:

Hidden Homeless, Mortgage Scams & Steve Lopez

2009-11-19T18:38:55Z

More and more middle-class families are finding themselves on the streets. Correspondent Lisa Ling reports on this new group, she calls the Hidden Homeless.

Even more people find themselves on the brink - facing foreclosure on their homes. That's bad enough, but now, as the LA Time's David Lazarus reports, scammers are coming out of the woodwork to offer help. False help as it turns out.

And LA Times columnist Steve Lopez says don't believe recent reports showing homeless is actually decreasing.

]]> Episode 206 Segments:

Hidden Homeless
Take a recession, add a housing collapse and you end up with formerly solid, middle-class working families on the street.

Mortgage Scams
If someone offers to help you "fix" your troubled home mortgage - beware. Consumer columnist David Lazarus has the low-down on the latest "mortgage modification" scams.

Steve Lopez On Homelessness
LA Times columnist Steve Lopez says a recent report showing a drop in LA's homeless population was more than wrong. It was harmful to those trying to solve the problem.

Web Extras:

The Art of the Mortgage Scam
As foreclosures rise, so do scams that target desperate homeowners. Find out how to avoid being taken, and what to do if you suspect fraud.

Mortgage Scams? Who Can Afford A Mortgage?
For large numbers of workers in the LA area, getting scammed over a mortgage isn't a concern. They don't earn enough to come close to owning a home.

The Young and the Homeless
Homelessness is painful enough, but especially so for the young. Some disturbing facts about the number of children with no place to call home.

A Different Kind Of Homeless Shelter
An interview with the executive director of Door of Hope, a transitional housing program that serves homeless families with young children.

The Young and the Homeless

2009-11-18T21:30:25Z

Los Angeles County contains the largest number of people living below the poverty line in the entire country. With the high cost of living here, it's no wonder that many of those people are homeless.

Even sadder, among those homeless are thousands of children.

We present some disturbing facts, collected by the social service agency, School on Wheels.

Mortgage Scams? Who Can Afford A Mortgage?

2009-11-17T19:50:40Z

While many people facing foreclosure are preyed upon by the unscrupulous, a huge class of folks in Southern California have never been able to afford a home here.

That's illustrated in a disturbing project put together by the Center for Housing Policy. Their Paycheck to Paycheck database combines information about housing prices and compensation paid to workers in a variety of jobs, and breaks it all down into specific metro areas.

]]> The charts below show how five classes of workers in the Los Angeles area might fare as both potential homeowners and renters. As you can see, these workers can't afford even a low-end home and most can barely put together enough money for a rental unit.

Home Affordability

Rental Affordability

For more information about affordability in Los Angeles and over 200 other metro areas, visit the Paycheck To Paycheck database.

Swallowing Stereotypes

2009-11-16T21:50:22Z

The following images are from an art installation by Travis Somerville at Otis College of Art and Design. It's based—obviously—on the days in the South when "Whites only " and "Blacks only" drinking fountains were not art, but real life. Sommerville has taken the idea to another level. Whether it's a higher or lower level is up to you, but here's a kind of puzzle made from the images to see how quickly you can recognize the stereotypes.

Whatever your opinion, it's a very interesting show at the Ben Maltz Gallery at Otis through December 12th. It's called "Dedicated to the Proposition..." You can get more info here.

Ling, Lazarus and Lopez

2009-11-16T18:50:16Z

A new class of homeless: Lisa Ling reports on middle-class families hit hard by the recession, and out on the street.

Don't believe it: The LA TIme's Steve Lopez says recent data showing homelessness decreasing is bunk.

And, not homeless yet, but close: Consumer columnist David Lazarus on a rash of scams targeting homeowners facing foreclosure.

Plus another chance to test your neighborhood knowledge in the visual puzzle, Name That Spot.

The Art of the Mortgage Scam

2009-11-14T00:41:56Z

Bad times for millions of homeowners facing foreclosure is turning out to be good times for scam artists. Some homeowners become so desperate, they fail to exercise basic good judgment. And scamsters are becoming ever more sophisticated.

According to Fannie Mae, the most common "Foreclosure Rescue" scheme goes like this:

A homeowner in trouble is approached and offered a deal that will allow him to stay in his home, as a renter, in return for the deed to the property. The scam artist also usually offers a repurchase deal, so the homeowner can buy the house back when they are in better financial shape.

Once the miscreant has the deed, he sells the house, uses the proceeds to pay off the delinquent loan, pockets the equity and disappears.

Warning signs for this scam include:

Being approached by a stranger with an unsolicited "rescue" offer.
Receiving an unsolicited call, mail or flyer about "foreclosure rescue" or saving your home.
Participating in a complicated deal that you don't fully understand.
Signing documents that have blanks or false statements. Regardless of what you are told, this is never okay.

If you suspect that you have been a victim of mortgage fraud or are aware of a possible scam, you can report it by calling the Mortgage Fraud Hotline 1-800-4FRAUD8 (1-800-437-2838).

In California, you can also contact the State Attorney General's Office.

Name That Spot #3: The Answer

2009-11-13T21:19:46Z

Thanks to all who wrote in. This week's Spot is the headquarters for our city's public library system, one of the largest in the world.

Designed by architect Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue, the building is topped with a pyramid, and includes a four-wall mural by illustrator Dean Cornwell.

On April, 29, 1986 an arson fire severely damaged the building and destroyed a significant part of the library's collection. The whole city came together to raise funds for the restoration of the Central Library, which reopened in October of 1993

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See all the Name That Spot puzzles (and the answers) here.

And look for a new Name That Spot on the broadcast this week.

Catching Arsonists

2009-11-11T23:55:19Z

Coming up this week - how to catch an arsonist.

Plus, a follow up on last week's story about FEMA deciding that certain neighborhoods in Los Angeles are flood zones. This week, a similar situation in Ventura County

Commentary: Swine Flu

2009-11-11T21:17:43Z

Novelist, teacher and family man Marcos Villatoro shares his personal tale of involvement with the H1N1 flu virus.

Update: Hung Out To Dry?

2009-11-11T21:09:23Z

Last week correspondent Judy Muller reported on some South LA home owners who'd been hit with big insurance bills after FEMA declared their neighborhoods to be flood zones.

This week, Judy follows up, and finds a similar situation in Ventura County.

Catching Arsonists

2009-11-11T21:04:59Z

Arson is the leading cause of wildfires in California. But it's tough to solve an arson crime and convict a suspect. Correspondent Angie Crouch looks at the work of arson investigators, and how they piece together bits of evidence at a crime scene that's little more than ashes.