As a community, we’ve made significant progress in our fight to create pathways out of poverty for all L.A. County residents.
But while graduation and college readiness rates are rising, they aren’t nearly high enough. While millions of taxpayer dollars have been saved thanks to free tax preparation programs like VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance), too many families still worry about their next bill. And while we’ve led the effort to raise nearly $5 billion in civic funding to end homelessness, there are still more than 57,000 Angelenos who don't have a home to sleep in tonight.
So, let’s get to work.
Students deserve more than just diplomas. They deserve to graduate prepared for college and careers.
No man, woman, child, or veteran deserves to suffer on our streets at night.
No Angeleno deserves to live one paycheck away from homelessness. But 1 in 217 do. This staggering number must change.