Samaritans

Samaritans

Los Angeles County is spending hundreds of millions of dollars a year to combat homelessness. Yet the problem is getting worse. Why? Well, part of the answer is simple: LA's severe shortage of affordable housing. But that's not all there is to it. For more than a year KCRW reporter Anna Scott followed a woman named Christine Curtiss through LA’s homeless services system to find answers. Listen to Christine's journey in the four-part podcast "Samaritans."

Los Angeles County is spending hundreds of millions of dollars a year to combat homelessness. But the problem is getting worse. Why?

In the first episode of Samaritans, we meet Christine Curtiss, an unhoused woman that KCRW reporter Anna Scott followed for a year.

In the second episode of Samaritans, Christine comes face-to-face with the life or death consequences of living outdoors.

In the third episode of Samaritans: For the first time in more than seven years, Christine sleeps indoors, in a bed with a roof over her head. But her new situation doesn’t last long.

In the final episode of Samaritans, Christine moves into a new women’s shelter. But her future is still uncertain.

Anna speaks with Liam Dillon of the LA Times and Matt Levin of CalMatters, who co-host the podcast "Gimme Shelter," about homelessness amid the pandemic, projections for the future and…

Almost one year after we last heard from Christine Curtiss, a promise of permanent housing has come through. What does the end of the rainbow look like?