This week’s storm is expected to be worse than last week, moving more slowly and dumping more rain, with flood watches issued for California’s mountains, coast, valley, and inland. The state is scrambling to help unhoused residents.
When it rains, the LA Homeless Service Authority and the LA County Sheriff’s Department’s Homeless Outreach Services team will search for unhoused residents in areas in danger of flooding and warn them of the coming storms. They can also try and get them to a winter shelter. Plus, some nonprofits provide blankets and other necessary resources. That’s all according to Ruben Vives, reporter for the Los Angeles Times.
However, it can be difficult to provide enough shelter due to capacity limits. Vives says LA Mayor Karen Bass’ “Inside Safe” program, which is supposed to help unhoused Angelenos into hotels and motels, could help.
And in the Bay Area, there have been complaints about homeless sweeps that are happening even as storms move through.