Reunify, Reconnect, Reach, LA Homeless

Affordable housing and homelessness

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

Primarily for the directory, it is extremely difficult for people to find their loved ones who are homeless. Someone can contact homeless organizations and a note can be put on their file, but that's the best that exists right now and it doesn't guarantee that that note will actually make it to their loved ones. Largely speaking, if you're homeless, it is very hard for your family to contact you.

This project has three parts: 1. The creation of a homeless directory (called The Homeless Directory.com). This directory will have a dedicated URL and it will be free and available for any member of the public to use. How it will work is that homeless shelters and organizations, while they're working with their clients, will ask them if they want to opt-in to being in this directory. If they say yes, however much information they want listed about themselves will be entered in by their caseworker. Each person whose information is put in the directory reserves the right to have their personal listing removed at any time, for any reason (if they so choose). 2. The creation and production of a three-part video series that will feature the stories of three different homeless people. The purpose of this series will be to show how difficult their lives are, and the daily struggles they face. This series will be available to watch for free online. 3. To give away $30,000 worth of free ads to homeless organizations and shelters in Los Angeles in my media outlet, U Cast News and U Cast Studios. These ads will be given out to at least four different organizations. These ads will appear in both physical and digital media. Our newspaper prints 10,000 copies per month, and our digital reach includes 400,000 email addresses.

With the homeless directory, it has the potential to give thousands of family members of homeless people the ability to find them. As it stands now, it is extremely difficult for the families of the homeless to find their loved ones. Many people who are homeless don't want to be found, but for those who want some form of reunification with their family members, this directory could be the first step in helping them turn their lives around. With the three-part video series, the goal would be to inform the public of just how hard and difficult the lives of the homeless are. The desired impact would be that for the people who see it, they will view the homeless issue through a different lens. With the free ad giveaway, the intended consequence will be to support pre-established organizations that are already doing great work helping the homeless.

For the directory, it will be the creation of it and getting web traffic to it. The goal will be to get the directory up and functional within two months of the grant being awarded (but no longer than four months after the grant is awarded). For the video series, the goal will be to get people to watch it. This series will be promoted in my media outlet (in both physical and digital media). Additionally, I will promote this series through non-profits and through media appearances. For the free ad giveaway, each recipient of the ad giveaway will be told how much the ads they're being given are worth.