County Of Los Angeles Versus The Union Rescue Mission: Salvation Vs Housing #600-601

Preview

Segment #1 Salvation vs Housing: Union Rescue Mission vs Government Programs
County of LA is at odds with the Union Rescue Mission (URM). According theRev. Andy Bales, Chief Executive Officer of the URM care provided to homeless was blamed for adding to the homeless problems in L A County. The Los Angeles Homless Services Authority, a County/City joint government agency that oversees multi-millions in Federal funds for emergency shelter and housing apparently does not want homeless families to be taken in off the street by the URM. LAHSA Executive Director Michael Arnold said what they want is for homeless families to stay in their communities, so the community will provide for them.

Segment #2 Conflict Over Homeless Care
Are homeless families being used as “pawns” in the battle for control over Federal Funding? L A County Adminstrator Mike Arnoldsays the local City Councils should address the problem. But Rev. Andy Bales says that the Union Rescue Mission has been to :”take in” the homeless and needy families when and where needed. for the past 120 years.

Segment #3 Homeless Funds Withheld From Faith Based Agency
Life Transformation is #1 goal of the Union Rescue Mission for the down and out. But L A County appears to discourage this approach. URM stepped up to provide emergency shelter services when other agencies would not, they soon learned that the efforts were not appreciated.

Segment #4 Battle For Homeless Federal Funds or Homeless Souls?
Mike Arnold of LAHSA Los Angeles Homeless Services Agency describes how he administers the multi-millions in Federal Funds for homeless programs in LA County. He says that permanent housing for homeless and shares concern that Union Rescue Mission efforts to provide hope and spiritual care because the secular way providing public procurement for services is how LAHSA approaches the problem of homeless.

Segment #5 Privately Funded Homeless Programs Fill Void
Union Rescue Mission vows to continue winter emergency services for the homeless with private funds. He says that year round services are the goal to solve the problem. This need is what activated Rev. Andy Bales describes how his home video of Hospital Dumping patients on LA Skid Row went viral on TV and forced the hospital to stop their “dumping” practices. He bristled when told by LAHSA to “close your doors” to homeless families with children” so the communities would step up to help them.

Segment #6 Government Goal is Housing, Not Serving, The Homeless
Union Rescue Mission’s method of providing private support for life transformation classes, that require sobriety and not just “three hots and cot “is the most effective . LAHSA Government programs are targeting the chronically homeless with housing using Federal Funds from HUD (Dept. of Housing & Urban Development. ) The objective for both is to establish Regional services but differ on how to do it. Mike Arnold tells of Government Plan to end homelessness by working with the L A Chamber Task Force and United Way.