Downtown Women Needs Assessment 2013

THE 2013
DOWNTOWN WOMEN’S
NEEDS ASSESSMENT,
a community-based research project, is the fifth in a se-
ries of surveys focusing on the needs, characteristics, and
conditions facing homeless and other very low-income
women living in downtown Los Angeles. Since 2001, the
1316
Downtown Women’s Action Coalition (DWAC) has ad- SURVEYS
ministered 1,316 surveys, providing helpful demographic
information, population trends, and indicators of need for ADMINISTERED
service providers, policy makers, and the general public. SINCE 2001
This report includes longitudinal analysis of past surveys,
along with conclusions from the 324 surveys collected in 5 TH
2013. Information gathered from the surveys is split into
IN A
five main sections: D E M O G R A P H I C S , H O U S I N G ,
H E A LT H C A R E , V I O L E N C E A G A I N S T W O M E N ,
AND COMMUNIT Y RESOURCES . 324
WOMEN
SERIES
Recommendations in the final section present solutions to
some of the most pressing issues facing women in down- SURVEYED
town Los Angeles. Additionally, each section of the report IN 2013
highlights existing programs and solutions that have prov-
en effective in addressing poverty and ending homeless-
ness for women.
HISTORY
TH E DOWNTOWN WOM E N ’ S ter inform service providers and the CONTENTS

Action Coalition (DWAC) was residents working to improve their
founded in April of 2001. In the own community. Demographics 5
face of imminent closures of emer- Housing 9
gency shelter programs for women, Every three years since 2001, DWAC
downtown Los Angeles residents has conducted the Needs Assessment, DWAC Timeline 12
and local service providers united to interviewing hundreds of women Healthcare 14
seek immediate relief for the grow- about the real challenges and success- Violence Against Women 16
ing needs of homeless and extremely es they experience living in down-
low-income women. town Los Angeles. These surveys have Community Resources 18
been invaluable in identifying gaps in Recommendations 20
In its first year, DWAC also launched service provision and opportunities to Endnotes 23
a survey to assess the greatest needs better meet the short- and long-term
for women living downtown, to bet- needs of this population. Appendices 24
2
Historically, Skid Row was designed ty healthcare and affordable housing are invested in creating meaningful
to meet the needs of single, adult men. have both outpaced the supply, and changes for the residents of down-
The Needs Assessment has repeatedly additional services are still very much town Los Angeles.
demonstrated the demand for wom- in need.
en-centered services, provided by With this newest report, DWAC’s in-
staff who understand the multiple in- Past Needs Assessments have stimu- tention is to bring the issues to life
tersecting factors that cause and per- lated conversations and initiatives to through Community Profiles of wom-
petuate women’s homelessness. Since maximize support and empowerment en in the downtown area, provide
the late 1970s, the presence of wom- for women on Skid Row. Each report context through key moments in Skid
en on Skid Row has increased steadi- has not only illuminated disparities in Row history, and offer inspiration by
ly, and policies and services are still service provision, but has also offered highlighting innovative projects and
adapting to understand and meet the recommendations and tools for advo- services being modeled within the
unique challenges that women face. cates, leaders, policy makers, com- community.
Additionally, demand for high-quali- munity members, and students who
HOMELESS
INDIVIDUALS
IN LOS ANGELES
S O U R C E : L O S A N G E L E S H O M E L E S S S E R V I C E S A U T H O R I T Y H O M E L E S S C O U N T S ( 2 0 0 5 - 2 0 1 3 ) A N D VA R I O U S S O U R C E S
Downtown Women’s Action Coalition | Downtown Women’s Needs Assessment 2013 | www.dwcweb.org/needsassessment 3
METHODOLOGY
A total of 324 surveys were administered and

collected by 86 trained volunteers.
SURVEY DEVELOPMENT D ATA C O L L E C T I O N for volunteer surveyors, consisting of

Skid Row residents, DWAC members,
The Needs Assessment was adminis- DWAC recruited volunteers from and service providers. Insight from
tered over the course of a single day the downtown community and from these groups about the data collection
by trained volunteers at nine sites among regular volunteers at part- process, themes that they observed in
throughout Skid Row. The assessment ner agencies. Volunteers were invited speaking with the women before and
tool was developed by a sub-commit- to two separate survey administra- after the survey, and volunteers’ rec-
tee of DWAC, with representatives tion training sessions that provided ommendations are included within
from Chrysalis, Downtown Women’s general information about homeless- this report to provide context for the
Center, Lamp Community, Los Ange- ness, context about the specific issues survey data.
les Community Action Network, Los homeless women face, definitions of
Angeles County Department of Pub- relevant terms, and protocol for ad- S U R V E Y A N A LY S I S
lic Health, Los Angeles Mission, and ministering the surveys.
SRO Housing Corporation. In addi- A total of 325 surveys were admin-
tion to preserving questions from past Prior to the survey date, volunteer istered and collected by 86 trained
assessments, the committee created ad- outreach teams encouraged the com- volunteers. Survey data were entered
ditional questions to gather informa- munity to participate. Surveys were through a Google Documents form
tion about policy and service changes in administered from 9:30 a.m. to and exported for analysis. One survey
the Skid Row area since the last survey 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, November was discarded as an ineligible respon-
was administered in 2010. 16, 2013. Data collection consisted dent. Although 324 surveys were an-
of individual, face-to-face interviews. alyzed, the total sample size varies for
The survey instrument contained three Respondents were informed that their some questions based on respondent
qualifying questions to ensure respon- participation was voluntary and that eligibility and decisions to opt out of
dents belonged to the target popula- they could decline to answer any specific questions.
tion and to eliminate duplication. The question or terminate the survey at
survey comprised 40 multiple-choice any time. Respondents were also of- Data were analyzed using frequency
questions, each with an optional fill- fered a gift of women’s care products distributions and other basic statis-
in “other” answer. For select respons- as an incentive for participation. tical analysis, including comparing
es, respondents were asked follow-up results across subcategories of wom-
questions, and the final question in- The survey was conducted in English en based on demographic informa-
vited respondents to share any addi- or Spanish and lasted approximate- tion such as race, age, and length of
tional thoughts they had about ser- ly 20-30 minutes. Responses were homelessness.
vices or challenges in the downtown self-reported by each respondent; no
LA community. The full survey and additional verification of answers
list of survey sites can be found in Ap- was requested. Participants were not
pendices I and II. asked if they had participated in prior
Needs Assessments.
Prior to the survey date of November
16, 2013, the survey was presented to After the Needs Assessment was ad-
a small test group of community res- ministered, additional qualitative
idents, reviewed by DWAC members, data was gathered through an online
finalized, and translated into Spanish. survey and two focus group meetings
4
Demographic data gathered from the Needs When compared to census
data for LA County, these
Assessment helps to paint the picture of women’s numbers show that women on
Skid Row are disproportion-
homelessness in downtown Los Angeles. ately more likely to be women
of color and that the median
age continues to rise.
AGE
WHAT CAUSES IN THE YEARS SINCE THE
L A U N C H of the Needs Assess-
WOMEN’S ment, there has been a slight
HOMELESSNESS? demographic shift toward

older women on Skid
Row, as reflected in
There are various fac- the increase in mean
tors that cause women’s and median ages,
homelessness in the Unit- as well as in the
ed States. These include growing percent-
domestic violence, lack ages of women
of affordable housing, job who are 51 and
loss and unemployment, older.
lack of a social support
network, mental illness, Older women
physical disability, and reported having
substance abuse/drug ad- poorer health:
diction. 50.0% of women
51 and older rated
There are also intersecting their physical health as
issues such as sexism, rac- “fair” or “poor,” com-
ism, ageism, and extreme pared to 30.3% of wom-
poverty that are the ba- en under 50. Older women
sis for many of the direct surveyed reported worse vision,
causes of homelessness dental health, and mental health, and
mentioned above. were more likely than women under
50 to have a disability (73.0% com-
Service providers in Skid pared to 54.6%). The growing num-
Row, such as the Down- ber of older women living in Skid Row
town Women’s Center, emphasizes the need for aging-related
work with women to ad- services, as well as accessible facilities
dress these factors and and agencies.
help them get back on
their feet.
AG I N G I N S KI D ROW
COMMUNITY PROFILE
Survey respondents included four Bertha W.
women in their 70s and one who
was 81. One large factor in the age
shift has been the aging of wom- 65-year-old Bertha retired as a nursing assistant to
en who have lived in Skid Row for move in with her daughter’s family and care for her
years; 28.1% of women over age newborn grandson. After a falling out with her
51 reported being homeless for 5 or son-in-law, she fled the home in a hurry with no
more years. place to go.
Living on the streets took an immense toll on

Another factor that is less obvious Bertha’s health. Her legs were painfully swol-
at first glance is the continual arriv- len from being on her feet all day and walking
al of newly homeless older women, long distances. She slept outside a church for
who have lost housing as a result of months until she came to Skid Row where she
the death of a spouse or estrange- found stability, first through temporary shelter,
ment from adult children; 21.5% and then through permanent supportive housing.
of women aged 51 or older report- Passionate about cooking, she keeps herself busy
ed being on the streets for less than by helping to prepare and serve meals to other homeless
a year. women in Skid Row.
RACE & ETHNICITY

A LARGE MAJORITY OF WOMEN The number of Latina women on
surveyed (85.4%) were born in the Skid Row has also risen over time. RACE & THE WAGE GAP
United States; an additional 6.5% [See Appendix I for full racial de- In 2012, the gender pay gap
were from Mexico or Canada, and mographics over time.] Additional- was at 23%, meaning that
4.6% were born in other Latin Amer- ly, Latinas reported lower graduation for every dollar that men
ican countries. The number of wom- rates—46.5% of Latinas surveyed made, women were earning
en surveyed who were born outside of completed high school or complet- only 77 cents. Single women
the United States exceeded 10% for ed their GED, compared to 71.5% of are even more adversely af-
the first time since 2001. The increase the total group. Perhaps most trou- fected by the wage gap than
in the number of immigrant women bling, among Latinas, 32.6% report- married women. Single wom-
on Skid Row underscores the need for ed sleeping on the street, as compared en earn only 78.8% of what
multilingual services. Undocumented to 22.3% for all other ethnic groups. married women earn, and
women face particular challenges in only 57 cents for every dollar
accessing services if they lack identi- Demographic trends for African-Amer- that married males earn.1
fication papers or do not meet federal ican women and Latinas underscore
qualifications for programs. the long-term effects of structural These gaps rise dramatically
racism; over time, discrimination in when broken down by race:
Racial demographics show that Afri- education, housing access, and wages Whereas white women earn
can-American women have been con- and employment opportunities leave 78 cents to every white man’s
sistently overrepresented in the home- these groups more vulnerable to pov- dollar, African-American
less population. According to 2012 erty and homelessness. women earn 64 cents, and
census data, African-Americans make Latinas earn only 53 cents.2
up 9.9% of LA County’s total popu-
lation of women, but African-Amer- Over time, earning gaps
ican women are 57.4% of the popu- place women—and partic-
lation who responded to the Needs ularly women of color—at
Assessment. Among the surveyed a significant economic dis-
population, African-American wom- advantage.
en also made up the majority of wom-
en sleeping most frequently in shelters
(60.7%) and in the streets (40.6%).
6
LOS A N G E L E S CO U N T Y WO M E N 1 NEEDS ASSESSMENT
(2013) (2013)
*Adds up to more than 100%

because the Census does not
consider “Hispanic” to be a
separate racial category.
EDUCATION, INCOME & BENEFITS

E D U C AT I O N income, the highest percentage since of Los Angeles County programs and
the first Needs Assessment in 2001. housing providers are working to en-
More than two-thirds (71.5%) of sur- However, the many women surveyed roll General Relief recipients in SSI as
vey respondents graduated from high are receiving General Relief and liv- soon as possible after housing.
school or completed their GED. This ing off of only $220 per month, an
is the first year that the number of amount that has not increased since Women also pointed to the need for
respondents who did not complete the inception of GR in the 1980s. The vocational education and employment
high school has dropped below 30%, data also reflect the widespread and opportunities downtown; in 2010, re-
which may also indicate the success of long-term impact of 2009’s Great Re- spondents cited the lack of employ-
GED programming offered by service cession and the resulting increasing ment opportunities as a major factor
agencies in partnership with tutoring unemployment rates and cuts to pub- both in causing homelessness and in
programs, the Los Angeles Unified lic benefits: 33.0% of respondents ex- keeping them homeless. It is hearten-
School District, and the LA Public Li- perienced a loss of income in the last ing to see the percent of women who
brary’s adult literacy program. year, up from 28.1% in 2010 (which receive income from full- or part-time
in turn was an increase from 19.8% work beginning to climb4 , though job
However, the data also show that in 2007). opportunities are still in high demand.
higher education does not make indi-
viduals immune from homelessness; Although it is promising to see in- For more, see Employment Opportu-
7.6% of those surveyed have college creased enrollment in benefits, nities under Community Resources.
degrees, and an additional 2.3% com- 65.8% of respondents reported
pleted post-graduate work. having a disability, showing an un-
der-enrollment in SSI benefits. The
I N CO M E process to get SSI is very time-con-
suming, and many homeless individ-
More than 99% of respondents re- uals do not begin the process until af-
ported having at least one source of ter stabilization in housing. A variety
INCOME SOURCES
For longitudinal survey results of income and benefits, see Appendix 1.
GLOSSARY
Supplemental Security Income provides support ($8,529

annually in 2013)5 for anyone who is age 65 or older, blind,
or disabled and who has limited income and resources and
is a U.S. citizen or national.
COMMUNITY PROFILE
WOMEN VETERANS Laura E.
Only 7 of the women surveyed had served in the Armed At 23, Laura joined the NAVY and from day one suffered
Forces. However, the percent of women veterans with- through sexual harassment that never abated during her four
in the homeless population is expected to rise, as veter- years of service. She was stationed aboard an aircraft carrier,
an homelessness is often the result of post-traumatic stress and became traumatized after the rape of a women in her de-
disorder or loss of benefits that manifests several years af- partment. In an effort to feel safe, she only slept a few hours
ter the termination of military service. at a time with her boots on as a measure of protection.
Homeless service agencies have also found that a signif-

icant number of women veterans do not disclose their “I never put it together. I always thought
status if they were dishonorably discharged as a result of that the post-traumatic thing was for
sexual assault. In many cases, their dismissal from the mil-
itary caused compounding trauma after an incident of vio- people who had been on the field or
lence. Other women may not consider themselves veterans had seen war—but the fact is that what
if they did not participate in combat. Accordingly, service I went through was very severe and
providers have implemented programs to identify and as-
sist veterans, including appealing discharge status and ap-
affected me.”
plying for benefits.
After leaving the NAVY, Laura had a great job but was still
living paycheck to paycheck, staying with relatives, and was
struggling to be independent due to her bouts of depression.
Today, thanks to counseling and veteran services for women
on Skid Row, she is finding stability, and is actively looking for
housing for herself and her one-year-old daughter.
8
Since the Needs Assessment was launched “I was stationed by Gladys
Park, and the people I talked
in 2001, the survey has overwhelmingly to were most interested in a
safe place to live, especially
indicated the lack of accessible, affordable at night.”
housing as the greatest barrier to ending VO L U N T E E R S U R V E YO R
homelessness.
A D D I T I O N A L LY, in every Needs ability and lower health outcomes— PROJ EC T 50

Assessment conducted, housing has 23.3% of women living on the streets
ranked as the most needed resource had experienced sexual assault in the Campaigns to target the most
to improve the downtown commu- last year, and 47.9% had experienced chronically homeless women are
nity. In 2013, 73.1% of respondents domestic violence. having an impact. In 2007, LA
listed it as the most-needed resource. County launched Project 50, a pi-
lot program to identify and house
For women in particular, lack of For the full list of greatest needs, see those most at risk of dying on the
housing can lead to increased vulner- Community Resources on page 18. street. Protecting the most vul-
nerable individuals also proves
cost-effective: “In the first year,
ADDRESSING CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS those housed spent a combined
150 fewer days as hospital inpa-
ACCO R DI N G TO TH E U S D E- Women who have been homeless for tients and 600 fewer days in jail,
P A R T M E N T O F H O U S I N G and five or more years are far more like- cutting jail and medical costs by
Urban Development’s most recent ly to rank their physical and mental over $550,000.” 7
data, there are 14,840 chronically health as poor, to have negative inter-
homeless individuals in LA County, of actions with the police, and to experi- GLOSSARY
whom 92.0% are unsheltered.6 In our ence violence. In LA County, several
survey, the number of women who campaigns have successfully focused
The federal government defines a
spent five years or more on the street on housing the most vulnerable and
chronically homelessness person
rose from about a quarter in 2001 to most chronically homeless individuals yet
a peak of almost 40% in 2010. In this the need still far outweighs the supply of as an individual with a disabling
year’s survey, almost a third (32.6%) available housing. condition who has either been
of women reported having spent five continuously homeless for at least a year
or more years on the street; of those, OR has had at least four episodes of
11 had been homeless for more than homelessness in the past three years.8
20 years.
REMOVING BARRIERS TO HOUSING
OVERALL, THE VAST SHORTAGE ficulty accessing information about
AFFORDABLE & LOW-
of available low-income housing pres- available housing; and inability to INCOME HOUSING
ents a huge challenge: When asked to find housing that accommodated chil-
name their greatest barrier to secur- dren or families, people with disabil- Unsurprisingly, a lack of afford-
ing housing, 31.5% of women cited a ities, trans women,10 or people with able housing contributes direct-
lack of income, and another 28.7% of past or current substance use issues. ly to homelessness. The National
women cited long waitlists.9 It is thus Low Income Housing Coalition
critical that efforts to end homeless- Adult women with families face par- found that for every 100 extreme-
ticular challenges in finding housing ly low-income households, only
“It’s tough for married that accommodates a male partner or 30 affordable units are available.
In both rural and urban America,
couples. They don’t allow their children; four of the women sur-
veyed lost custody of their children af- over half of all renters (53%) pay
married couples to stay more than 30% of their income
ter becoming homeless.
together or allow their for housing,11 forcing them to
children to be with them. Programs with strict requirements stretch the remainder to meet the
prior to housing can exacerbate the rising cost of living. An unexpect-
There’s no safe place for ed life event like a medical emer-
length of homelessness or cost of ser-
pregnant women.” vices by mandating therapy or ser- gency or loss of income can be
vices before individuals or families enough to push an individual or
SURVEY RESPONDENT
are allowed to move in. In some cases, family onto the streets.
39, on the streets for 8 months
these services are unnecessary, and in In California from 2000 to 2012,
ness take into account the significant others, sobriety as a precondition to median rent rose over 20% while
need to expand the affordable hous- housing can cause individuals to cy- income declined by 8%. More re-
ing stock as well as the barriers that cle back into homelessness if they are cently, the loss of federal, state,
women face when attempting to se- forced to exit or restart the program. and bond funds for affordable
cure housing. housing—from $2.5 billion in fis-
Conversely, housing-first programs cal year 2007 to just over $500k
Additional barriers can prevent wom- help remove some of these barriers by in fiscal year 2012—have further
en from accessing even the limited allowing people with mental health exacerbated the problem. In LA
housing that is available. These bar- or substance use issues to access con- County, that leaves a shortage of
riers include: lack of documentation sistent support in a stable environ- more than 376,000 low-income
required to qualify for housing; dif- ment, without the threat of a return housing units.12
to homelessness. In addition to making individuals
much more vulnerable to become
newly homeless, the lack of af-
HOME FOR GOOD WHERE DO YOU CURRENTLY fordable housing also prolongs
Collaboration can lead to solu- SLEEP MOST FREQUENTLY? homelessness, even for those
who are able to regain income or
tions for the entire community. overcome other barriers. More
In 2013, as part of the Home for often, the lack of housing options
Good campaign, United Way of creates a cycle of compounding
Greater Los Angeles joined with issues and new traumas.
Community Solutions and the
Rapid Results Institute to stream-
line access to housing for the
most vulnerable individuals. Over GLOSSARY
the course of 100 days, two teams
worked to house 100 people
Housing-First is a model centered
throughout downtown Los Ange-
on providing housing as quickly
les, using a universal assessment,
a housing inventory tracking tool, as possible, without time limits or
and the newly developed Coor- preconditions such as mandated
dinated Entry System. The pilot therapy. Individuals sign standard
program has since been expanded leases and are provided with services
across Los Angeles County. on a voluntary and as-needed basis.13
10
TOTAL LENGTH OF TIME ON IN THE PAST THREE YEARS, HOW MANY SEPARATE
THE STREETS OR IN SHELTERS TIMES HAVE YOU BEEN HOMELESS & THEN
HOUSED AGAIN?
WOMEN IN HOUSING
W H E N CO M PA R E D TO WO M E N staying on the
streets or in shelters, women who stated that they sleep
most frequently in their own apartment, home, or a single
resident occupancy (SRO) unit have better overall health
and wellness outcomes.
The higher health insurance enrollment of women in hous-

ing indicates that the stability of having an apartment al-
lows formerly homeless women to access resources and
manage their own care.
Women in housing report a much better quality of life and

thus understand the need to increase housing downtown
for their community—73% ranked housing as the greatest
need, consistent with the group as a whole.
HOUSING LEADS TO STABILITY
COMMUNITY PROFILE
Brandy D.
Brandy began to lose her vision after more than 25 years as a nursing
assistant. No longer able to work, and with her savings gone from the
2008 financial crisis, she came to Skid Row to access social services. A
caregiver all her life, she never thought she would end up needing help
herself. It was through the supportive services she found at the Down-
town Women’s Center that Brandy was able to obtain Supplemental Se-
curity Income (SSI), access to mental health care, and ultimately her own
apartment to call home.
DOWNTOWN WOMEN’S ACT
DWAC was formed in April 2001, when a In 2002-2003, DWAC stood firmly against
1 large group of community stakeholders came
together to respond to the threatened clo- 4 redevelopment plans and projects that would
have displaced thousands of low-income res-
sure of the largest women’s emergency shel- idents of downtown and successfully promot-
ter program in the community. Within three ed the Share the Wealth Platform for equitable
months, the coalition was successful in se- development which called for: no displace-
curing emergency funding for a replacement ment, increased affordable housing, local hir-
shelter program from the Los Angeles Home- ing, wealth building opportunities, and in-
less Services Authority (LAHSA) which met creased green space.
the short-term need, but also highlighted
the need for an ongoing voice advocating for
women living in Skid Row. In 2005, DWAC launched the “7 out of 10”
5 campaign finding that 7 of 10 women living

downtown had experienced significant vio-
In the summer of 2001, DWAC conducted the lence in their lifetimes. DWAC held the first-ev-
2 first-ever Downtown Women’s Needs Assess-

ment, a community-based research project
er Take Back the Night and White Ribbon Day
awareness events in Skid Row and has contin-
documenting the characteristics, needs, and ued them annually until the present. Peer-edu-
resources/lack of resources for women living cation sessions on violence reduction were cre-
in and near the Skid Row community. DWAC ated and implemented, and LAHSA changed
has updated and expanded this research proj- its funding guidelines to explicitly account for
ect every three years since that time, with this measures that ensured women’s safety.
2013 report as the most recent.
In October 2006, DWAC held its first Down-
3
In May 2002, DWAC launched its signature
event, Women’s Day in the Park, which has
6 town Women’s Summit to create a forum for
women leaders to share with and learn from each
been held annually through 2014. The event other. A number of common themes and princi-
was created and continues as a day to honor ples emerged from the dialogue, which DWAC
homeless and low-income residents of down- members reviewed and streamlined into its five
town and celebrate, relax, exercise, get pam- principles for equity: 1) Solidarity; 2) Indigenous
pered, eat and dance together. Over 200 wom- Assets and Expertise; 3) Recognizing and Un-
en attend each year. doing Power and Privilege; 4) Eliminating Vio-
lence Against Women; and 5) Women-Specific,
Strength-Based Service Delivery.
12
TION COALITION TIMELINE
In 2007, DWAC created a Women’s History In 2011-2012, DWAC contributed data and
7 Project to educate the community about wom-
en who have contributed to our society in 10 stories to the UN Special Rapporteur on Ad-
equate Housing, resulting in the linkages be-
the past and present, with a specific focus on tween domestic violence and homelessness
low-income leaders currently contributing to being highlighted in the international United
making history in Skid Row. Nations publication, “Women and the Right
to Adequate Housing.” In fact, a photo of the
DWAC Chairperson at the time, Deborah Bur-
In 2009, DWAC was one of the lead local part- ton, was featured on the cover.
8 ners working with the national Human Rights

Watch to bring attention to the Los Angeles
Police Department’s unacceptable rape kit Throughout DWAC’S history, member orga-
backlog, and to ensure policies and procedures
to eliminate and prevent future backlogs. 11 nizations have utilized this research and other
community engagements to enhance services
and infrastructure for women living in down-
town LA: This includes the addition of a fam-
In 2011, DWAC responded to a pressing health ily law attorney in LA CAN’s legal clinic; the
9 concern in the community – massive bed bug

infestation – by holding a series of community
expansion of the Downtown Women’s Center,
which houses the only women’s health clinic
in the community; LA County Department of
trainings for landlords, service providers and
residents on how to eliminate bed bugs as well Public Health’s increased immunizations, flu
as one-on-one outreach and education with shots and other health access programs spe-
residents in infested buildings. cifically targeted for women; Planned Parent-
hood’s expanded reach into Skid Row; and
many others.
Healthcare, including medical, mental health There were some positive trends com-
pared to past results: 79.2% of wom-
and dental care, ranked second on the list of en have medical coverage or health
insurance, and the number of women
most-needed resources to improve the down- who reported their health as “fair” or
“poor” dropped from 54.7% in 2010
town community, with 44.8% of respondents to 42.3% in 2013.
marking it as a need.
WH ILE TH E S E GAINS AR E promising, there is still

much improvement needed, and services to support fol-
low-up and ongoing care are lacking. Almost one-third of
women have had difficulty filling a prescription in the past
year, and 63.3% of women with abnormal Pap smears or
mammograms were not able to get follow-up treatment.
These numbers are particularly troubling as the homeless
population ages – the Office on Women’s Health recom-
mends bi-annual mammograms for women over 50, but
without proper follow-up care, these tests do little more
than inform a woman that something may be wrong.
Public health concerns around Skid Row also focus on

fears of tuberculosis epidemics; 93.5% of women surveyed
had received a TB test in the last year. 14
On a positive note, the implementation of the Affordable

Care Act has dramatically lowered barriers in obtaining
Medi-Cal, and we are optimistic that health outcomes will
improve in coming years.
SUBSTANCE USE AND RECOVERY

H E A LT H Y WAY L A
Starting in 2012, service providers across Skid Row In the past year, 26.8% of women surveyed were in recov-
took major steps to increase homeless individuals’ ery for drug or alcohol abuse. Of those women, 62.2%
health coverage by enrolling uninsured participants in had used drugs or alcohol in the past year, while the rest
Healthy Way LA, Los Angeles’ intermediary healthcare had not used substances in the past year. Of all women
coverage. With the implementation of the Affordable surveyed, 25.9% reported drug use in the last year.
Care Act on January 1, 2014, all of these individuals
were automatically rolled into Medi-Cal.
14
LONG-TERM HEALTH IMPACTS OF HOMELESSNESS
AG I N G A N D C H R O N I C A L LY homeless women may ing homelessness are “three to

also require more specialized care to manage complica- four times more likely to die
tions that arise from a lack of preventive care. Even basic prematurely than their housed
nourishment is not always available; almost one in four counterparts, and experience
women (24.4%) responded that they did not have enough an average life expectancy as
to eat every day, and just over half (55.3%) have access to low as 41 years.”15
five or more servings of fruit each day. For women strug-
gling to seek food and shelter, pursuing primary care Dental care is particularly dif-
in a complicated and confusing ficult for homeless individu-
healthcare system can become als. Years of neglect mean that 2/3 OF WOMEN
an unmanageable undertaking. chronically homeless women with abnormal pap smears or
often require extensive dental mammograms were not able
The long-term effects of home- procedures with multiple vis- to get follow-up treatment.
lessness negatively affect health its. A full two-thirds of wom-
outcomes —20.2% of women (66.2%) surveyed ranked their dental health as fair or
en who had been homeless for poor. In these cases, free one-day dental clinics, a common
five or more years rated their solution offered for uninsured and low-income communi-
33.2% health as “poor,” and 23.4% as ties, are not adequate to meet the needs of those who may
have not been able to “fair”. According to the Nation- require surgery. Often, tooth extraction is used as the best
fill a prescription in the al Health Care for the Homeless available solution given limited resources.
past year. Council, individuals experienc-
COMMUNITY PROFILE
MENTAL HEALTH AND DISABILITIES Vikki V.
ALTH OUG H PHYSICAL H E ALTH outcomes have im- For nearly five years, Vikki lived in a park in a constant state of paranoia and
proved slightly, the survey reflected an ongoing gap in fear. Diagnosed with schizophrenia, she had little
mental health services. In their lifetimes, 64.1% of the to no access to medical services until her
women surveyed have received mental health treatment; health reached a critical point. With
women have noted in past surveys difficulty accessing the help of a local transitional
mental health services, lack of proper storage for their shelter, she was ultimately
medications, and ongoing barriers caused by their mental referred to the Downtown
health issues. Women’s Center for hous-
ing and medical services.
Often, mental illness is a factor in contributing to home- The moment Vikki moved
lessness, but studies have also found mental health issues in to her new apartment,
arising after homelessness, including trauma-related disor- she received the critical
ders such as PTSD. Additionally, shame and stigmas sur- wraparound services
rounding mental illness may prevent women from seek- she needed to stabilize in
ing treatment—creating another barrier to accessing many housing and health. She en-
housing programs. Chronically homeless women were rolled in Medi-Cal, and visits
more likely to rate their mental health as “poor” than her primary doctor and psychia-
women who were homeless 4 years or less (27.7% com- trist on-site at the Downtown Wom-
pared to 17.0%), reflecting the potential long-term dam- en’s Center medical clinic.
aging effects of living unsheltered.
Of the women surveyed, 65.8% reported having a disabil-

ity, with an additional 5.4% marking “not sure,” suggest- WO M E N - O N LY M E D I C A L C A R E
ing that they may not have been able to receive a diagnosis
or treatment. In addition to making it more difficult to In 2010, the Downtown Women’s Center partnered with
navigate the streets and access transportation, disabilities also JWCH to open Skid Row’s only women-only medical and
leave women more vulnerable—of the women surveyed who have mental health clinic, offering primary care, behavioral
experienced sexual assault, 73.0% had a disability. health, women’s specialty health, including services for
trans women, and holistic wellness services.
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
More than two-thirds of the women surveyed Nationwide, 18% of women have ex-
perienced sexual assault; the homeless
had experienced child abuse, domestic vio- women surveyed experienced assault
at over 2.5 times that rate (50.0%).16
lence, or sexual assault—and 77 women were
survivors of all three.
ACCO R D I N G TO TH E WO R LD
H E A LT H O R G A N I Z AT I O N , vic- 60.9% 50.0%
tims of sexual assault are 6 times more have experienced have experienced
likely to suffer from PTSD, 13 times domestic abuse sexual assault
more likely to abuse alcohol, and 26
times more likely to abuse drugs. The
disproportionate number of abuse
victims on Skid Row illustrates the
damaging after-effects and long-term
impact of violence against women: Of
the 203 survivors surveyed this year,
38.4% came directly to the Skid Row
community after experiencing do-
mestic violence or sexual assault, and
within that group, only 57.7% stated
they were offered services to deal with
the after-effects of violence.17
GLOSSARY
40.1% 14.5%
have experienced have experienced sexual assault Women living on the streets may
child abuse in the last year engage in survival sex, trading sex
acts to meet their most basic needs for
survival, including food and shelter.
Often, survival sex may seem like the
only available option for a woman
with no other resources.
16
THE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE
CO M M U N IT Y SO LUTIO N S TO H O M E LE SS N E SS “There’s a cycle of treatment and
extend beyond providing housing and services for those attack; I’m healing from past issues
already on the streets. Homelessness prevention requires
understanding and addressing the root causes of home-
and then walking outside and getting
lessness, through early interventions to divert women from attacked again. The recovery can only
having to rely on the shelter system and the streets. happen when women are in a safe and
protected space.”
Interrupting violence prevents women and children from
later having to flee dangerous situations. Of the 116 wom- V O L U N T E E R S U R V E YO R & D O W N T O W N
en who were abused as children, 94.8% also experienced RESIDENT
sexual assault, domestic violence, or both as adults—only
six of these women did not report re-victimization later in
life. Outreach for child abuse victims and adequate com-
munity support are necessary to prevent individuals from
repeated abusive relationships.
EXPLOITATION IN SKID ROW
Over the course of their lives, a distressing 31.5%

of women have felt the need to perform a sexual
favor in exchange for food, protection, cash,
or other needs—including 14.2% who felt they
needed to do so to obtain housing. COMMUNITY PROFILE
Janine B.
A LT H O U G H T H E S U R V E Y D I D propriate or abusive interactions, such
not ask whether women actually en- as use of force or sexual harassment. Janine was planning an extravagant 50th birth-
gaged in sexual favors in exchange for Thus, it is crucial that service provid- day celebration, until she woke up one day and
services, the perceived pressure high- ers understand patterns of abuse and could not move. Due to her illness, she lost her job,
lights the exploitation of homeless be aware of power dynamics at play and ultimately her apartment. Her state of home-
and extremely low-income women. in their interactions, as well as ad- lessness brought her to Skid Row where she cele-
vocate to ensure that those working brated her birthday without a home to call her own.
Women who became homeless after with vulnerable populations are held Never one to stay inactive, Janine persevered and
losing income or a change in family accountable.
structure may find themselves alone “The women of the
and exposed on the streets, and for High incidence rates of violence also
those who became homeless after flee- highlight the need for service agen- downtown community
ing from violence or sexual assault, cies that serve only women. Of the deserve every good thing
re-victimization may compound the full group of homeless women sur- in life and I love being a
trauma from which they fled. In both veyed, 59.8% preferred services in a
cases, the threat of violence and ex- women-only environment.18 Members
part of an organization
ploitation can lead to deep feelings of of the focus groups commented that that is trying to provide
isolation and distrust. this number may have been underre- life’s best. Our voices need
ported; when they posed the question,
Of the almost one-third (31.7%) of several respondents seemed to misun-
to be heard.”
women who had interactions with po- derstand, responding that men de-
lice in the last year, 10.4% reported served access to services, too. found permanent supportive housing in her new
that these incidences included inap- community of Skid Row. Even as she worked on
improving her health, she joined the Downtown
Women’s Action Coalition to advocate for women’s
rights and end violence against women.
Survey respondents noted several en-
In addition to highlighting top priorities for couraging trends in the community,
as well as offered suggestions to fur-
service improvements, the Needs Assessment ther expand available resources to
meet the needs of women.
also seeks to identify positive aspects of the
downtown community.
IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT ARE THE TOP THREE ASSETS OR

STRENGTHS OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY?
COMMUNITY PROFILE
Deborah B.
COMMUNITY STRENGTHS & ASSETS Deborah has been a resident of the Skid Row
community for the past 14 years. She under-
A C C E S S T O P U B L I C transporta- family or friends, a strong indicator stands the devastation of being a homeless
tion and a variety of services remains of personal stability and an improve- woman, but also the empowerment of being an
important for those without cars and ment from previous years – in 2004, advocate and an activist on Skid Row thanks
with limited resources. Homeless in- 71.6% of women reported that they to the Los Angeles Community Action Network
dividuals often have to travel to sev- felt lonely sometimes or quite often. (LACAN). Working as an organizer with LACAN
eral agencies to manage their basic for the past 10 years and in stable housing, Deb-
needs, access services, and apply for Formal and informal networks such orah is an active member of her community to
housing. In the most recent survey, as peer advisory groups, substance ensure the rights of women in Skid Row.
respondents indicated that the avail- use support groups, neighbors, and “In my community there are both
ability of social services, food, public friend groups offer women a sense of housed and unhoused women,
transportation, and community orga- stability and a means to break out of
and we experience harassment
nizations and centers were among the the isolation of homelessness. Women
area’s top assets. are also seeking ways to support one by many police officers. I wanted
another—47.5% of respondents said and needed to lend my voice to
In our focus groups, several wom- they wanted to volunteer in a commu- the Needs Assessment survey to
en commented on the strong sense of nity organization, and 33.6% wanted bring to light to this harassment
community downtown. More than to participate in public or peer edu- and criminalization that happened
two-thirds of women surveyed re- cation about issues in the community. to me and is happening with too
ported having a support system of many of us.”
18
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES CHRYSALIS
ENTERPRISES
E M PLOYM E NT AN D TR AIN ING “I advocate for educational
opportunities has climbed up the list Various agencies on Skid Row
of most-needed resources downtown,
and vocational programs offer job-training and job place-
starting at 22.4% in 2001, increas- to be offered in the Skid ment for homeless and formerly
ing to almost a third in 2010, and Row Community. It’s very homeless individuals. Chrysalis
reaching 43.8% in 2013. Computer important that women in Enterprises has provided tran-
classes and educational opportunities sitional jobs since 1991, offering
also ranked high on a list of activities the downtown Skid Row on-the-job training and wag-
women would like to see offered in community make a stand es to participants, who work in
local parks, community centers, and and educate themselves to street maintenance and facilities
service centers. management, often within their
have a brighter future.” own neighborhoods. The social
While some jobs have become avail- S U R V E Y R E S P O N D E N T 29, enterprise model should be sup-
able (13.6% consider employment op- homeless for 5 years ported and expanded to promote
portunities an asset downtown), the community-based products and
need continues to outpace growth. services, and employ those that
have been historically excluded
COMMUNITY HEALTH AND SAFETY from the employment market.
C O M M U N I T Y H E A LT H benefits.19 At the same time, a lack of interactions with the police in the past
The final question of the survey was publicly available bathrooms ensures year; of those, 43.8% were arrested, 20
included to ensure that all partici- that public health will remain a prob- 36.5% received citations, and 14.6%
pants had the chance to express any lem: less than 30% of survey respon- were held in custody.
additional insight they had into the dents said that they never have a prob-
experience of women in downtown lem finding a safe and clean restroom In 2006, the Los Angeles Police De-
Los Angeles. In these responses, wom- or shower, and 41.7% said that it was partment (LAPD) adopted the Saf-
en repeatedly brought up concerns often or always a problem. For men- er Cities Initiative with the goal of
about community safety and health, struating women, securing feminine reducing crime on Skid Row. Sub-
especially the lack of bathrooms and hygiene products provides an addi- sequent ticketing and arrests for
street cleaning services. tional challenge every month. low-level infractions such as jaywalk-
ing and littering had disastrous effects
Efforts to clean Skid Row have includ- SAFETY AND POLICING on homeless women who became dis-
ed expensive power-washing treat- The relationship between law en- qualified for housing programs. Since
ments and efforts to remove trash forcement and residents of Skid Row the initiative was implemented, the
from the streets; however, many res- has long been a contentious one. Sur- number of women selecting “legal as-
idents have reported feeling harassed vey respondents noted that they need sistance” as a top-needed resource has
and complained that police are re- police protection to prevent violence increased steadily, rising from 6.7%
moving their private property, includ- against them, but have also reported in 2004 to 18.1% in 2007, to 31.8%
ing documents and identification that feeling harassed by police officers. Al- in 2013.
they need to apply for housing and most a third of women (31.7%) had
RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES

OVER A QUARTER OF WOMEN removing children included lack of many women expressed the need for
(28.7%) have children under the adequate housing, mental illness, and family services downtown, including
age of 18; of those, only 40 women inability to support children finan- parenting classes, children’s activities
(46.5%) responded that all or some cially – all factors that are tied to pov- (22.5%), family recreation opportuni-
of their children are currently in their erty and access to resources.22 ties, and parks (12%) – many women
custody.21 with grandchildren commented that it
With increased benefits for wom- was difficult to spend time with them
Reasons for loss of custody varied: In en with children and an expansion because of lack of parking in Skid
some cases, women had their children of mental health services, many of Row, strict visitation rules, and the
removed because of substance use or these women would be able to prop- overall sense that the neighborhood is
neglect. However, other reasons for erly care for their children. Further, unsafe for children.
A. P REVENTING HOMELESSNESS
E X PA N D LOW- I N CO M E & A F F O R DA B L E • Increase education about the dynamics of domestic
HOUSING OPTIONS and sexual violence, healthy relationships and identi-
fying the warning signs of abuse.
• The Downtown Women’s Action Coalition believes • Disseminate information in safe spaces about resourc-
that housing is a human right. Further, the lack of low- es that offer support and protection for victims.
rent options contributes to the overall poverty of more
than a quarter of LA County residents23 . Increasing af- • Support women in becoming economically self-sufficient.
fordable and low-income housing in every communi- • Provide trainings to workers in our communities to
ty, including all downtown communities, will provide recognize signs of abuse and steps to provide fol-
resources for women and families, eliminating one of low-up support or reporting, if needed.
the major causes of homelessness. • Prioritize women as vulnerable due to unsafe streets as
• Prioritize the reallocation of funding to build low-in- related to the Coordinated Entry System and voucher
come housing, as well as mandate that new housing dissemination.
complexes include affordable and low-income units. • Provide more single sex housing and mental health
• At a federal level, direct funding toward the Depart- services for victims of abuse.
ment of Housing and Urban Development.24
• At the state-wide level, support legislation that gen- INCR E AS E PE R MAN E NT SU PP O RTIVE HOUSING
erates investment in safe and affordable single-family
homes to serve those most in need of housing. Permanent supportive housing is ideal for people with dis-
• At the local level, identify and implement new, dedi- abilities and mental health issues, who may not be able to
cated funding sources for low-income housing, with a maintain housing without on-site support services.
priority for those most in need.
• Promote housing-first principles to ensure that all in-
• At the local level, provide legal assistance for wom- dividuals have access to supportive care, counseling,
en and families, advocating for expanded housing op- substance use recovery, job and life skills, and health
tions, and assisting with housing applications. services.
• Co-locate housing and services to ensure that resi-
dents can regain and maintain personal stability and
P R OV I D E C O M M U N I T Y I N T E R V E N T I O N S stay housed.
FOR VIOLENCE
Community interventions to prevent violence include iden-

tifying contexts for violence and providing resources such
as anger management and self-defense classes, as well as
strategies to address “societal-level influences,” factors
“such as gender inequality, religious or cultural belief sys-
tems, societal norms, and economic or social policies.”25
• Advocate not on behalf of but with marginalized

groups to promote and implement community-based
solutions to violence prevention and other responses
to violence.
• Promote awareness of systemic inequalities that disad-
vantage women, people of color, people with disabili-
ties, and transgender, queer, and gender non-conform-
ing people.
20
B. ADDRESSING HEALTH NEEDS
PROVIDE TR AU MA- IN FO R M E D, WO M E N - • Provide therapeutic solutions in conjunction with ef-
C E N T E R E D C A R E & P AT I E N T N A V I G AT I O N fective treatment, in a variety of different forms to
SERVICES meet the needs of the community.
• Public policy makers and service providers must also
Because homeless women face unique medical needs and identify funding and treatment options for people who
compounding medical and behavioral health needs, it is do not qualify for healthcare because of their immi-
important for service providers to offer women-only health gration status.
services, with a trauma-informed care service model.
• Continue to ensure that all clients are enrolled in PROVIDE SAFE & CLE AN PU B LIC
healthcare, and provide health insurance mainte- B AT H R O O M S A N D S H O W E R S
nance, patient navigation, and education.
An overwhelming majority of women reported not being
• Ensure accessibility of follow-up care, in light of the sur- able to access clean, safe bathrooms and showers.
vey results about abnormal Pap smears and mammograms.
• Offer programs addressing aging and end-of-life is- • Increase access to existing public bathrooms, partic-
sues, with an understanding of the additional health ularly when service agencies are closed, and provide
risks associated with prolonged homelessness. funding to install additional accessible bathrooms and
• Expand community-based mental health services and showers across Skid Row available 24 hours a day.
support mechanisms, including street outreach, com- • Provide sanitary products at nonprofit and govern-
munity crisis outreach, and education efforts around ment agencies serving low-income individuals.
treatment and medication.
C R I T I C A L-T I M E
I N T E R V E N T I O N AT
T H E D O W N TO W N
WO M EN ’ S CENTER
The Downtown Women’s Center

offers intensive case manage-
ment services to help former-
ly homeless residents maintain
housing in the long-term. In 2010,
DWC was selected as the first
pilot program to conduct Critical
Time Intervention in Los Ange-
les. The model guides residents
toward personal stability by im-
proving their health, cultivating
self-esteem, connecting them
with resources, and building sup-
port networks. Of the original 80
clients who received CTI ser-
vices through DWC, 100% main-
tained housing as of 2014; DWC
staff have shared findings and
best practices at 16 national and
statewide housing conferences.
C. IMPROVING OUTCOMES FOR HOMELESS WOMEN
DECRIMINALIZE HOMELESSNESS, P R OV I D E T R A I N I N G A N D E M P LOY M E N T
P O V E R T Y, A N D M E N TA L I L L N E S S OPPORTUNITIES
The Downtown Women’s Action Coalition opposes “qual- Training and employment programs for women seeking to
ity of life” legislation and enforcement practices that seek re-enter the workforce need to be designed with flexibility
to criminalize the effects of poverty and homelessness in and appropriate for varied backgrounds, including specific
the name of protecting neighborhood safety. Outright programs for women who have never earned a traditional
criminalization of poverty further intensifies the cycle of income and/or have disabilities that might have prevented
institutionalization and disenfranchisement, and these them from obtaining full-time jobs.
policies seek to displace and sanitize the visible effects of
poverty while doing nothing to address its root causes.26 • Create more opportunities for homeless and low-in-
come women, including expanded and more targeted
• Police officers should work respectfully with homeless job training programs and local hiring requirements.
individuals, expand use of LAPD SMART teams spe- • Encourage and fund education efforts by service pro-
cially trained to deal with people with mental illnesses, viders and business owners to dismantle stereotypes
and issue citations and arrests as a last resort and only about homelessness and a perceived lack of interest in
for serious violations. seeking employment.
• Expand community-based mental health services and • Provide classes to prepare women to manage their fi-
service-enriched housing and reduce the number of men- nances, pay rent, cook nutritious meals, and main-
tally ill individuals being arrested and incarcerated in tain housing. Particularly for women who have cycled
Downtown LA. through institutions, these classes provide necessary
skills to ensure stability over time.
IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES FOR
C O L L A B O R AT I O N O N S K I D R O W “There should be uniformity of information
awareness among all the various
• Increase communication across Skid Row agencies, in- organizations working in Skid Row. Staff
cluding identifying and sharing best practices in ser-
should know ALL resources available (not
vice provision.
just through their organization) so that they
• Support collaborations and campaigns such as Home
for Good and the Coordinated Entry System, to
could better disseminate information to
streamline service delivery to clients. Skid Row residents. There should be ACTIVE
• As appropriate, share information about individual dispersion of information, as some Skid Row
clients across service providers to better provide ser- residents are too mentally incapacitated to
vices. Cross-refer clients to fill gaps in programming. seek help on their own accord.”
S U R V E Y R E S P O N D E N T 47, homeless for 5 years
D. COMMUNITY ADVOCACY OPPORTUNITIES

P R O V I D E C O M M U N I T Y E D U C AT I O N
OPPORTUNITIES
Truly ending homelessness will require more than solu- • Encourage advocacy among community members and
tions for those who have already ended up on the streets. stakeholders by participating in city council and county
Service providers, leaders, and policy makers must educate supervisor meetings, and opposing “quality of life” mea-
the public about the root causes of poverty and systemic sures that criminalize poverty.
inequality that lead to the marginalization of groups and • Increase education about mental illness and poverty to
individuals and implement policy changes that address dispel myths and reduce stigmas.
these conditions.
• Promote civic engagement opportunities across Skid
Row to engage communities in working to improve the
lives of extremely low-income and homeless women.
22
1
“The Top 10 Facts About the Wage Gap,” Center for American Progress, http://www.amer- 19
The New York Times reported in September 2012 that the Ninth Circuit Court upheld
icanprogress.org/issues/labor/news/2012/04/16/11391/the-top-10-facts-about-the- a lower court’s injunction against the city’s seizing of private property, as it violated
wage-gap/ the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments. “[T]he city seized identification papers, fami-
ly photographs and other personal belongings of homeless people, when they left their
2
“The Simple Truth,” American Association of University Women, http://www.aauw.org/
things momentarily as they stepped away to eat, shower, use a bathroom or tend to some
files/2014/03/The-Simple-Truth.pdf
other need. City employees took the property away to destroy it, sometimes after owners
3
“Health Indicators for Women in Los Angeles County: Highlighting Disparities by Ethnicity had returned and pleaded to get their possessions back.” [“The Constitution on Skid
and Poverty Level,” Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Office of Women’s Row,” New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/09/opinion/sunday/the-consti-
Health and Office of Health Assessment and Epidemiology, http://www.publichealth.la- tution-on-skid-row.html] More recently, the city has proposed adding storage facilities
county.gov/ha/docs/2011LACHS/WHI2013/WHI_2013s.pdf downtown to accommodate the needs of homeless individuals with few other options
4
The percent of women earning income from full- or part-time work went from of 10.4% in to protect their private property. [“L.A. budget official proposes $3.7-million skid row
2001 to 9.1% in 2007 and a low of 4.3% in 2010, but is now 13.6%. cleanup plan,” Los Angeles Times, http://articles.latimes.com/2014/apr/07/local/la-me-
skid-row-20140408]
5
SSI benefits for 2014 were increased to $8,657.26, or $721.44 per month. [“Understanding
Supplemental Social Security Income SSI Eligibility Requirements,” Social Security Admin-
20
This number reflects arrests for 12.9% of total survey respondents, which is down from 22.6%
istration, http://www.ssa.gov/ssi/text-eligibility-ussi.htm; “SSI Federal Payment Amounts in 2010.
For 2014,” Social Security Administration, http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/cola/SSI.html] 21
Because this survey was administered on a weekend, largely in areas with services for adults,
6
“2007-2013 PIT Counts by CoC,” OneCPD Resource Exchange, https://www.onecpd.info/ we believe that our results under-represent the needs of women with children in their custody,
resource/3031/pit-and-hic-data-since-2007/ who are less likely to be in Skid Row outside of school hours. In past years, between 30 and
39% of respondents had children under 18, with 21.6 to 46.4% having some or all of their
7
“Los Angeles’ Project 50,” Community Solutions, http://cmtysolutions.org/projects/
children in their custody.
los-angeles-project-50
8
“Defining Chronic Homelessness: A Technical Guide for HUD Programs,” Office of Com-
22
Neglect is defined as: “Failure to provide adequate food, shelter, clothing, supervision, or
munity Planning and Development, US Department of Housing and Urban Development, health care necessary for a child’s health, welfare, or safety.” Child Protective Services
https://www.onecpd.info/resources/documents/DefiningChronicHomeless.pdf note that “[p]overty and/or homelessness do not constitute negligent treatment or mal-
treatment in and of themselves.” [“Child Protective Services: Guidance for Mandated
9
On a positive note, there has been a drop by nearly 10 percentage points (from 64.7% to
Reporters,” WA State Department of Social & Health Services, http://dshs.wa.gov/pdf/ca/
54.3%) in respondents who listed being unable to find/secure affordable housing in the
MandatedReporterTraining.pdf]
previous year.
10
The lack of housing for trans women is particularly troubling considering the dispro-
23
The Southern California Association of Nonprofit Housing applied the California Pov-
portionate amount of LGBTQ individuals who become homeless. In 2012, the Williams erty Measure, which “accounts for cost of living, including housing, and government
Institute released findings from a survey of 354 agencies that serve homeless youth and assistance, [and] LA County has 26.9% of its population living in poverty – the most
found that 40% of clients identified as LGBT. [“Serving Our Youth,” The Williams Insti- of any county in the state.” [“Webinar: How California’s Housing Market is Failing to
tute, http://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/headlines/lgbt-homeless-youth/] Meet the Needs of Low-Income Households,” Southern California Association of Nonprofit
Housing.]
11
“Out of Reach 2013,” National Low Income Housing Coalition, http://nlihc.org/sites/de-
fault/files/oor/2013_OOR_Introduction.pdf 24
Cuts to HUD’s budget in 2013 threatened an 140,000 households of being denied
12
“How California’s Housing Market is Failing to Meet the Needs of Low-Income House- Section 8 vouchers. [“Sequestration Could Deny Rental Assistance to 140,000 Low-In-
holds,” California Housing Partnership Corporation, http://chpc.net/dnld/CHPCHous- come Families,” Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, http://www.cbpp.org/cms/?-
ingNeedReport020814FINAL.pdf fa=view&id=3945]
13
National Alliance to End Homelessness, http://www.endhomelessness.org/pages/hous- 25
“Domestic Violence Prevention Enhancement and Leadership Through Alliances (DELTA),”
ing_first Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/del-
ta/index.html#concepts
14
14.5% declined to respond to the question, higher than other opt-out rates
26
Over the years, Needs Assessments surveys have found that between 11% and 24% of
15
“Homeless and Health: What’s the Connection?” National Health Care for the Homeless Coun- homeless women spent some time in the foster care system. In describing barriers to
cil, http://www.nhchc.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Hln_health_factsheet_Jan10.pdf housing, many women noted the lack of resources for women with children. In particular,
16
“National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey 2010 Summary Report,” Center for older teenage boys may be barred from agencies that serve victims of domestic violence.
Disease Control, http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/nisvs_report2010-a.pdf [“Are the Hurdles Too High? To be Young, Male and Homeless in America,” Youth Today,
http://www.youthtoday.org/view_article.cfm?article_id=6334]
17
Overall, this is a modest improvement – in 2010, only 28% of women were offered ser-
vices to deal with violence.
18
A full 88.4% of women who preferred services in a woman-only environment were survi-
vors of violence (107 had experienced DV, 88 had experienced sexual assault, and 78 had
experienced child abuse; 53 had experienced all three).
A PP EN D IX I :
SURVEY INSTRUMENT AND SELECTED SURVEY RESPONSES

Percentages: Unless noted otherwise, for questions where only one response was allowed, percentages for
the 2013 Needs Assessment are calculated based on the total number of responses to the question. For
questions where multiple answers were allowed, percentages are calculated out of 324.
Where available, response totals from previous years are included. In some cases, questions, available
answer options, or formulas for calculating percentages may have changed between surveys; these changes
are noted at the bottom of each chart. “- - -” indicates that a question or response option was not included
in a specific year’s survey.
DEMOGRAPHICS
SU RV E Y TOTAL S
2001 2004 2007 2010 2013

Number surveyed 409 268 188 147 325
Responses analyzed 399 264 182 147 324
AG E OF SU RV E Y RE S PO NDE NTS
2001 2004 2007 2010 2013

Age range 14 to 79 19 to 80 18 to 82 20 to 60 17 to 81
30 or under 11.1% 12.4% 7.9% 9.0% 9.2%
31-40 26.3% 22.4% 13.6% 14.0% 17.1%
41-50 36.1% 36.3% 42.4% 30.0% 23.7%
51-61 22.8% 23.2% 30.5% 34.0% 39.1%
62 or older 3.7% 5.8% 5.6% 13.0% 10.9%
Mean age 44 44 47 47.4 48.1
Median age 44 45 48 48 50
W HAT I S YO UR COU NT RY O F B I RTH ?
2004 2007 2010 2013

United States of America 92.30% 90.60% 91.89% 85.44%
Born in CA (out of US) 44.40% 46.70% 44.85% - - -
Born in LA (out of CA) 66.30% 53.80% 72.13% ---
W HAT I S YO UR E T HN I CI T Y ?
2001 2004 2007 2010 2013

African-American 62.9% 60.2% 44.1% 52.7% 57.4%
Non-Hispanic white 12.7% 13.6% 20.1% 21.6% 14.1%
Hispanic/Latina 10.9% 11.4% 16.2% 12.2% 11.8%
Mixed race 7.9% 8.0% 8.9% 5.4% 10.2%
Native American/American Indian 2.6% 4.5% 2.8% 2.7% 2.0%
Asian/Pacific Islander 1.5% 0.8% 2.2 1.4% 3.9%
Other 0.5% 1.5% 5.7 4.1% 0.6%
W HAT IS T H E TOTAL L E N GT H O F TIM E YO U H AVE LIVED ON THE STREETS OR IN

SH ELT ER S? ( MO NT H S )
2001 2004 2007 2010 2013

3 months or less 21.76% 14.46% 15.16% 15.51% 10.03%
4-11 months 15.29% 17.80% 19.16% 20.17% 10.38%
1 to 4 years 35.67% 42.18% 34.84% 36.68% 47.71%
5-9 years 14.76% 11.97% 12.21% 12.85% 15.57%
10 or more years 12.53% 13.59% 18.63% 19.61% 17.30%
W HAT IS T H E H I GH E ST L E V E L O F E DUC ATI ON YOU HAVE COMPLETED?
2001 2004 2007 2010 2013

Did not finish high school 32.10% 36.20% 31.40% 36.40% 28.48%
High School Graduate/GED 36.40% 27.20% 29.00% 31.80% 33.44%
Some College 23.20% 25.70% 25.60% 23.50% 27.48%
College Graduate 8.30% 10.90% 14.00% 7.60% 7.62%
Post Graduate --- --- --- --- 2.32%
I N COM E AN D B E NE F I TS
2001 2004 2007 2010 2013

At least one source of income 85.2% 84.0% 90.9% 93.6% 99.4%
General Relief (GR) 41.4% 37.7% 42.0% 36.4% 29.3%
SSI (Supplemental Security Income) 19.7% 23.3% 22.7% 32.9% 27.47%
Food Stamps (Cal Fresh) 31.1% 35.9% 30.7% 11.4% 15.43%
Work, full- or part-time 10.4% 8.6% 9.1% 4.3% 13.6%
SSDI/SSA (Social Security Disability Income/ 8.6% 7.0% 7.4% 15.0% 13.27%
Social Security)
Panhandling/recycling N/A N/A N/A N/A 12.7%
No Income 14.8% 16.0% 9.1% 6.4% 0.62%
W HE RE D I D YOU L I VE P R I O R TO BE COMI NG H O ME LE SS?
Out of State 18.94%

LA: Metro LA (Downtown, Hollywood, etc.) 17.28%
LA: South LA 16.28%
LA: West LA 11.63%
LA: South Bay/Harbor 6.31%
LA: East LA 5.65%
LA: San Fernando Valley (for example, 91340, 91341, 91605, 91331) 4.32%
Southern CA (Riverside, San Diego, Ventura, Orange) 4.32%
LA: Other 4.98%
Other city in CA 9.63%
Other: Jail 0.66%
Declined to state 24.69%
HAV E YOU E V E R S E RV E D I N T H E U. S. A RM ED FO RCES?
2001 2004 2007 2010 2013

Yes 7.60% --- 4.00% 3.70% 2.16%
WOM EN W IT H CH IL D R E N
2001 2004 2007 2010 2013

Have children under the age of 18 39.0% 39.8% 32.7% 30.2% 28.67%
Some or all of children currently in

respondent’s legal custody 38.4% 46.4% 21.6% 34.6% 71.33%
Children in custody staying with
respondent 63.2% 72.5% 27.3% -‐ -‐ -‐ -‐ -‐ -‐
HOUSING
I N T HE PAST T H R E E Y E A R S , H OW MAN Y SE PA RATE TIMES HAVE YOU BEEN HOMELE SS
A ND T H E N H O US ED AGA I N?
0 24.91%
1-3 66.42%
4-7 6.79%
10+ 1.89%
W HE RE D O YO U C U RR E N T LY S L E E P MOST FR EQ U E NT LY?
2001 2004 2007 2010 2013

My apartment/home/SRO 50.80% 41.50% 23.60% 21.33% 33.12%
Shelters/missions 23.90% 37.50% 42.60% 36.00% 36.01%
Streets/car/park 14.60% 12.70% 16.20% 26.67% 23.47%
Other: Family/Friends 3.30% 2.20% 4.70% 1.33% 2.89%
Institution (jail, prison, rehab) 4.40% 4.40% 12.20% 4.00% -‐ -‐ -‐
Encampment 2.50% 1.70% 0.70% 4.00% -‐ -‐ -‐
Other -‐ -‐ -‐ -‐ -‐ -‐ -‐ -‐ -‐ -‐ -‐ -‐ 4.5%
I N T HE LAST F IV E Y E AR S , H AV E YOU E VE R B EE N EVICTED FROM HOUSING OR

A BA NDO NE D A U NIT, O F W H I C H YO UR NAM E WAS ON THE LEASE?
Yes 17.90%
No 79.01%
D O YOU H AV E A S U P PO RT SYST E M SUC H AS A CLOSE FAMILY AND/OR FRIENDS?
2001 2004 2007 2010 2013

Yes 41.9% 41.5% 38.8% -‐ -‐ -‐ 68.3%
No 58.1% 58.5% 61.2% -‐ -‐ -‐ 31.7%
I N T HE PAST Y E A R , H AV E YO U E X P E R IE NC E D ANY OF THE FOLLOWING?

(Percentages indicate number of “yes” responses.)
2001 2004 2007 2010 2013

Homelessness (i.e. living in a shelter, transitional
program, on the street, in a car, etc.) -‐ -‐ -‐ 84.3% 75.0% 72.1% 68.83%
Unable to find/secure affordable housing -‐ -‐ -‐ 61.9% 60.7% 64.7% 54.32%
Physical health problems (i.e. heart problems,
difficulty breathing or walking) 42.2% 37.3% 52.3% 49.6% 51.85%
Change in family structure (i.e. divorce, death,

separation, children’s custody, etc.) 29.0% 31.3% 34.9% 28.9% 39.81%
Loss of income (government benefits, work, other) 21.9% 13.2% 19.8% 28.1% 33.02%
Domestic violence 29.0% 30.86%
Recovery from drug and/or alcohol addiction 28.9% 23.0% 38.2% 26.0% 26.85%
Drug and/or alcohol abuse 24.9% 17.9% 36.0% 39.5% 25.93%
Drug use AND recovery 19.3% 13.7% 28.2% 19.4% 16.67%
Sexual assault 15.6% 13.1% 19.9% 28.5% 14.53%
Interaction with the Department of Children and
Family Services (DCFS) -‐ -‐ -‐ -‐ -‐ -‐ -‐ -‐ -‐ -‐ -‐ -‐ 12.04%
HAV E YOU E V E R B E E N E XC LU D E D FR OM H O USI NG OR SERVICES BECAUSE OF AN Y
OF T HE FO L LOW IN G CH AR AC T E R IST IC S? ( R ES PO NDE NTS W E RE AS K E D TO S E LE CT
A LL T H AT A P P L I ED. )
Program did not serve women 20.99%

Program did not serve people with disabilities 13.27%
Program did not serve people with an addiction 12.35%
Program did not serve couples 12.35%
Program required that I have a disability and I don’t 11.73%
Program did not serve children 9.88%
Program did not serve women who were fleeing domestic violence (27)  
/ Other: Program did not serve women who were victims of crime (1) 8.64%
Program did not serve large families 7.10%
HEALTH
W HAT KI ND O F H E ALTH I N S U R A N CE D O YO U H AVE, IF ANY?
Medi-Cal (Medicaid) 43.51%

Healthy Way LA 28.90%
Medicare 8.44%
VA (Veteran’s Administration) 0.65%
Private Insurance 0.32%
None 20.78%
* Percentages do not add up to 100 because respondents could select more than one response.
HOW WO U L D YO U R AT E YO U R P H YS IC AL H E A LTH IN GENERAL?
2010 2013
Excellent 4.8% 16.35%
Very Good 16.7% 13.14%
Good 19.8% 28.21%
Fair 36.5% 26.60%
Poor 18.3% 15.71%
Declined to state 4.0% 3.70%
HOW WO U L D YO U R AT E YO U R D E N TA L H E ALTH IN GENERAL?  
2010 2013
Very Good 2.90% 5.52%
Good 24.80% 19.48%
Fair 24.80% 30.19%
Poor 45.30% 36.04%
HOW WO U L D YOU R ATE YO U R V IS IO N IN G E NE RAL?
2010 2013
Very Good 5.1% 7.10%
Good 26.5% 22.26%
Fair 28.7% 28.71%
Poor 35.3% 28.71%
HOW WO U L D YO U R AT E YO U R M E N TA L H E ALTH IN GENERAL?
2010 2013
Very Good 7.4% 6.75%
Good 28.7% 29.90%
Fair 36.0% 25.72%
Poor 16.9% 20.58%
A RE YOU C U R R E N TLY O R H AV E YO U E VE R R E CE IVED TREATMENT FOR MENTAL

HE A LT H I SS U E S?
Yes 64.08%
No 35.92%
HOW WO U L D YOU R ATE YO U R H E AR ING IN G E NE RAL?
2013
Excellent 20.52%
Very Good 9.77%
Good 35.83%
Fair 20.52%
Poor 13.36%
D O YOU H AV E A DISAB IL I T Y ?
2001 2004 2007 2010 2013

Yes 28.90% 23.80% 34.10% — 65.8%
I N T HE PAST Y E A R , H AV E YO U H A D A NY P R ES CRIPTION (MEDICATION, GLASSES OR

OT H ER) T H AT YOU CO UL D N OT F I L L?
2001 2004 2007 2010 2013

Yes --- 32.30% 27.30% 24.40% 33.23%
W HE N WAS T HE L AST T IME T H AT YO U H AD A T B T E ST ?
Less than 3 months ago 52.71%

4-6 months ago 26.35%
7-12 months ago 14.44%
more than 12 months ago 6.50%
I N T HE PAST Y E A R , D ID YO U H AV E A F LU SH OT?
Yes 40.40%
No 59.60%
I F N O, D ID YO U T RY TO GE T O NE BU T CO U LD NOT ?
Yes 11.11%
No 74.44%
D O YOU H AV E ACC E SS TO A N A D E Q UATE S U PPLY OF CONDOMS OR OTHER FORM OF

BI RT H CON T RO L?
Yes 52.27%
No 20.13%
Not needed/applicable 27.60%
HAV E YOU E V E R INJ E CT E D D R U G S, E VE N JU ST ONCE?
Yes 15.71%
No 84.29%
ACC E SS TO FO O D
I have enough to eat every day 75.65%

I have access to eat 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day 55.26%
I have access to organic fruits and vegetables (as percent of yes responses to previous question) 37.50%
If made available, I would use my EBT at downtown farmer’s markets 66.67%
COMMUNITY RESOURCES
W HAT KI NDS O F R E S O U R C E S WO U LD YO U M OST LIKE TO SEE AVAILABLE IN LOCAL
PA RKS , CO MMU NIT Y C ENT E RS , AND SE RVICE CE NTE RS?
(Respondents could select all that applied.)
Computer classes/internet access 49.38%
Educational opportunities 45.06%
Self-defense classes 41.98%
Exercise classes/equipment 37.96%
Arts and crafts 31.17%
Children’s activities 31.17%
Sports opportunities 31.17%
Cooking classes 28.40%
W HAT AR E T HE TOP T H RE E R E S O UR CE S MOST NE E DE D TO IMPROVE T H E

D OW NTOWN CO MM U NI T Y ?
2001 2004 2007 2010 2013
Emergency housing 46.6% 41.7% 28.3% 33.8% -‐ -‐ -‐
Affordable permanent housing 31.3% 35.0% 63.9% 72.8% 73.15%
Health care, including medical, mental health and dental 31.0% 29.1% 10.8% 27.2% 44.75%
Housing outside of downtown 28.4% 33.6% --- --- ---

Employment and training opportunities 22.4% 13.5% 20.5% 32.4% 43.83%
Drug or alcohol programs 20.4% 18.8% 18.1% 16.2% 36.73%
Legal assistance 7.5% 6.7% 18.1% 20.6% 31.79%
Transitional housing 12.6% 19.7% --- --- ---

Housing for families 17.0% 23.3% --- --- ---
Domestic violence counseling 8.0% - - - 12.7% 14.0% 23.77%
Services/programs specifically for kids incl. schools and child care - - - 23.9% -‐ -‐ -‐ 24.3% 22.53%
Mental health --- 8.5% 13.3% 19.9% ---

Dental care --- 6.3% 21.1% 50.7% ---
Parks --- --- --- - - - 12.04%
N/A --- --- --- --- 0.31%
Other --- --- --- --- 8.95%

*In the 2013 survey, this option was phrased as “Housing.”
W HI C H OF TH E FOL LOW ING AC T IV IT IE S WO ULD YO U MOST LIK E TO B E INVO LVE D
W I T H I N YOU R CO MMU NIT Y ?
(Respondents could select all that applied.)
Volunteering at a community organization 47.53%

Being a member of a church 40.74%
Participating in violence awareness and prevention events 33.95%
Participating in public/peer education on important issues in the community 33.64%
Contributing to a community garden 26.54%
Becoming a member of a civic organization 24.38%
Teaching an exercise class 18.83%
WOU LD YO U P R E FE R S E RV I C E S O FFE RED I N WO ME N-O NLY E NVIRO NME NTS?
Yes 59.81%
No 40.19%
IF YES, WHICH SERVICES WOULD YOU MOST PREFER TO BE OFFERED JUST FOR WOMEN?
(Respondents were asked to provide fill-in responses; multiple responses were allowed. Percentages were calculated out
of a total of 189 “yes” responses to the previous question. This table includes services desired by more than 3% of
respondents.)
Housing (26) / shelters (6) 16.93%

Hygiene 11.11%
Medical services 8.47%
Self-defense classes 6.88%
Education 5.82%
Exercise classes 5.82%
None specified 5.82%
Child services (8) / parenting classes (3) 5.82%
Health classes (6) / mental health services (2) / health care coverage (1) 4.76%
Domestic violence services/awareness 4.23%
Clothing/shoes 3.70%
Cooking classes (5) / food (2) 3.70%
Employment 3.17%
HOW M U C H O F T H E TI M E I S I T D I FF ICU LT FO R YOU TO FIND A SAFE AND CLEAN
RE ST R OO M OR S HOWE R WH E N YO U NE E D I T?
Always 28.01%
Often 13.68%
Sometimes 28.99%
Never 29.32%
P OLI C E IN TE RAC T I ON S IN T H E L AST YE AR
2004 2007 2010 2013

Had an interaction with the police 39.90% 45.50% -‐ -‐ -‐ 31.68%
Received a citation 25.40% 30.90% 30.80% 36.46%
Was arrested 17.10% 31.20% 22.60% 43.75%
W HAT W ER E T H E C I RC U MSTANC E S O F YO U R P O LICE INT E RACT IO NS?

(Respondents were asked to select all that applied in 2013. Percentages calculated out of 96 “yes” responses.)
Received a citation 36.46%

Was arrested 43.75%
I sought help from the police (i.e. 911, or went to Central Station at 6th and Wall) 22.92%
I was stopped, questioned and/or detained on the street 23.96%
I was stopped, questioned and/or detained in my place of residence 6.25%
I was held in custody at Central Station (6th and Wall) 13.54%
Law enforcement did a “raid” in my building 4.17%
I had an inappropriate or abusive interaction with an officer (i.e. physical force, sexual harassment) 10.4%
Other: Not specified 1.04%
Other: Roommate, regarding her for elder abuse 1.04%
Other: Talked to police to tell them not to abuse others 1.04%
Other: I was held in custody at Metropolitan Station on Temple 1.04%
Other: Asked to leave hospital 1.04%
Other: Sent to hospital 1.04%
Other: Detention center 1.04%
D I D YO U SE RV E P RI S O N O R JA I L TIME IN T H E LAST YE AR?
Yes 16.78%
No 83.22%
IF YES, DID YOU LOSE YOUR HOUSING OR SHELTER BECAUSE YOU WERE IN JAIL OR PRISON?
Yes 34.69%
No 44.90%
Declined to state (of 49) 20.41%
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

HAV E YOU E V E R B E E N E X P E C T E D TO P E RFO RM A SEXUAL FAVOR IN EXCHANGE FOR
A NY OF T HE FOL LOW ING ( H O U S ING , C AS H , P R OT E CT IO N, DRU G S ) ?
2001 2004 2007 2010 2013

Yes 21.50%* 31.20% 39.20% 30.10% 31.5%
*In 2001, the question was “Have you ever been expected to perform a sexual favor in exchange for housing?”
D O M EST IC V IO L EN CE
2001 2004 2007 2010 2013

Experienced domestic violence 58.5% 55.4% 56.1% 57.4% 60.88%
- in the past year 23.6% 19.4% 28.7% 29.0% 30.86%
Experienced violence in the past year
as a percentage of yes responses 40.7% 35.0% 51.2% 50.5% 50.69%
- before the age of 18 (as a minor) 10.0% 13.4% 13.4% 16.3% 15.08%
- age 18 or older (as an adult) 58.1% 55.9% 56.1% 38.8% 45.25%
- both as a minor and as an adult 31.9% 30.7% 30.5% 38.8% 5.59%

Note: Percentages were calculated from the total respondents in each question; not all respondents
answered follow-up questions.
SE XUA L ASSAU LT
2001 2004 2007 2010 2013

Experienced sexual assault 51.0% 50.8% 47.2% 46.3% 50.00%
- in the past year 15.6% 13.1% 19.9% 28.5% 14.5%

Experienced sexual assault in the past
year as a percentage of yes responses 30.6% 25.8% 42.2% 61.6% 26.54%
- before the age of 18 (as a minor) 33.3% 31.0% 27.7% 23.8% 14.81%
- age 18 or older (as an adult) 32.8% 35.4% 36.9% 31.0% 12.96%
- both as a minor and as an adult 33.9% 33.6% 35.4% 33.3% 3.09%

Note: Percentages were calculated from the total respondents in each question; not all respondents
answered follow-up questions.
Follow-up questions about violence (2013 only):

HAS VI OL E N C E AGA INST YO U O CCUR R ED:
Downtown 20.40%
Another community 51.24%
Both 28.36%
WAS T HE P E R PE T RATOR ( S ) :
Friend/Acquaintance/Associate 29.35%
Husband/partner 35.82%
Neighbor 10.95%
Parent 16.42%
Other family member 23.88%
Stranger 37.81%
Other: Declined to answer 1.99%
D O A N Y O F T H E P E R PE T R ATO R S CUR R ENT LY LIVE IN T H E DOW NTOW N CO MMU NIT Y?
Yes 22.89%
No 62.19%
Don't know 17.91%
D I D YO U COM E DI R EC T LY TO T H E DOW NTOWN CO MMU NIT Y AFT E R E X PE RIE NCING
D OM EST I C V IO L E NC E A ND/O R S E XUA L ASSAULT?
Yes 38.42%
No 61.58%
W ER E YOU O FF ER ED S ERV I C E S O R H ELP TO DE AL W IT H T H E AFT E R-E FFE CTS O F

V IO LE N C E?
Yes 57.7%
No 42.5%
D O YO U B E L I EV E T H AT E V E N TS T HAT RAISE AWARE NE SS AB O U T VIO LE NCE AG AINST

WOM EN AR E E FF E CT IV E I N R E D U CIN G V IO LE N CE?
Yes 66.81%
No 21.83%
Don't know 11.35%
E XP E RI E NC E S AS C HI L DR E N
Experienced child abuse 35.20% 35.00% 35.20% 44.30% 40.14%

Was in foster care 17.40% 14.60% 11.60% 23.90% -‐ -‐ -‐
A PP EN D IX I I :
SURVEY SITES
Survey sites were chosen to cover common high traffic areas and selected to encompass a large
representation of the Skid Row neighborhood. In addition to service providers’ facilities, survey sites
included public gathering areas such as Gladys Park and San Julian Park to ensure that the survey
incorporated responses from women who might not usually access services from agencies.
T H E FOL LOWI N G S I TE S W E R E S E LE CT ED FO R S U RVE YING :

1. Downtown Women’s Center: San Pedro Street
2. Downtown Women’s Center: Los Angeles Street
3. Los Angeles Community Action Network (LA CAN)
4. Volunteers of America
5. Gladys Park
6. Gladys Street/Hippie Kitchen
7. 7th Street
8. Central City Church/San Pedro Street
9. San Julian Park
10. James Wood Center/San Julian Street
Volunteers were stationed in front of the site on the sidewalk, engaging and inviting women to participate in
the survey. The Downtown Women’s Center and LACAN offices were the only two sites in which surveys
were conducted inside of a facility, and measures were taken to ensure that women who wanted to
participate in the survey were not faced with any program or facility barriers.
All considerations in site selection were intended to assist in gathering data representative of all women
living in the area. 
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The Downtown Women’s Action Coalition (DWAC) thanks the women of Los
Angeles’ Skid Row who participated in the survey and shared their stories.
Thanks to them, we are able to highlight the needs of our community and
offer recommendations to support the women living in Skid Row.
DWAC also thanks the more than 80 volunteers who dedicated their time
and skills to this project, from administering surveys, data entry, focus
groups, graphic design, and so much more.
Lastly, a special thank you to the readers who will take this information
and use it to work with and advocate for the women living in Skid Row.
AUTHOR D ATA A N A LY S I S
Audrey Kuo Francine Biton, Maria Guerra,
Audrey Kuo, Ann-Sophie Morrissette
EDITOR
Ann-Sophie Morrissette D ATA E N T R Y
Janine Betts, Deborah Burton,
GRAPHIC DESIGN Becky Dennison, Ana Murillo
verynice
REVIEW COMMITTEE
Becky Dennison, Carla Guerrero,
Brooke Lykins, Angela McCain
Turner, Molly Moen, Angelita
Ramirez, Amy Turk, Lisa Watson
Downtown Women’s Action Coalition

DOWNTOWN WOMEN’S NEEDS ASSESSMENT 2013
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THE 2013

TH E DOWNTOWN WOM E N ’ S ter inform service providers and the CONTENTS

A total of 324 surveys were administered and

SURVEY DEVELOPMENT D ATA C O L L E C T I O N for volunteer surveyors, consisting of

HOMELESSNESS? demographic shift toward

Living on the streets took an immense toll on

RACE & ETHNICITY

*Adds up to more than 100%

EDUCATION, INCOME & BENEFITS

For longitudinal survey results of income and benefits, see Appendix 1.

Supplemental Security Income provides support ($8,529

Homeless service agencies have also found that a signif-

A D D I T I O N A L LY, in every Needs ability and lower health outcomes— PROJ EC T 50

The higher health insurance enrollment of women in hous-

Women in housing report a much better quality of life and

HOUSING LEADS TO STABILITY

5 campaign finding that 7 of 10 women living

2 first-ever Downtown Women’s Needs Assess-

In October 2006, DWAC held its first Down-

8 ners working with the national Human Rights

9 concern in the community – massive bed bug

WH ILE TH E S E GAINS AR E promising, there is still

Public health concerns around Skid Row also focus on

On a positive note, the implementation of the Affordable

SUBSTANCE USE AND RECOVERY

AG I N G A N D C H R O N I C A L LY homeless women may ing homelessness are “three to

Of the women surveyed, 65.8% reported having a disabil-

EXPLOITATION IN SKID ROW

Over the course of their lives, a distressing 31.5%

IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT ARE THE TOP THREE ASSETS OR

RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES

Community interventions to prevent violence include iden-

• Advocate not on behalf of but with marginalized

The Downtown Women’s Center

D. COMMUNITY ADVOCACY OPPORTUNITIES

SURVEY INSTRUMENT AND SELECTED SURVEY RESPONSES

2001 2004 2007 2010 2013

2001 2004 2007 2010 2013

W HAT I S YO UR COU NT RY O F B I RTH ?

2004 2007 2010 2013

Born in LA (out of CA) 66.30% 53.80% 72.13% ---

2001 2004 2007 2010 2013

W HAT IS T H E TOTAL L E N GT H O F TIM E YO U H AVE LIVED ON THE STREETS OR IN

2001 2004 2007 2010 2013

W HAT IS T H E H I GH E ST L E V E L O F E DUC ATI ON YOU HAVE COMPLETED?

2001 2004 2007 2010 2013

2001 2004 2007 2010 2013

W HE RE D I D YOU L I VE P R I O R TO BE COMI NG H O ME LE SS?

Out of State 18.94%

HAV E YOU E V E R S E RV E D I N T H E U. S. A RM ED FO RCES?

2001 2004 2007 2010 2013

2001 2004 2007 2010 2013

Some or all of children currently in

2001 2004 2007 2010 2013

I N T HE LAST F IV E Y E AR S , H AV E YOU E VE R B EE N EVICTED FROM HOUSING OR

2001 2004 2007 2010 2013

I N T HE PAST Y E A R , H AV E YO U E X P E R IE NC E D ANY OF THE FOLLOWING?

2001 2004 2007 2010 2013

Change in family structure (i.e. divorce, death,

Program did not serve women 20.99%

Medi-Cal (Medicaid) 43.51%

Emergency housing 46.6% 41.7% 28.3% 33.8% -‐ -‐ -‐