This LA Musician Built $1,200 Tiny Houses for the Homeless. Then the City Seized Them.
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- Опубликовано: 27 июл 2024
- Elvis Summers crowdfunded $100,000 to build dozens of tiny homes. City officials looking to pass a $2 billion housing plan tried to shut him down.
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Each night, tens of thousands of people sleep in tent cities crowding the palm-lined boulevards of Los Angeles, far more than any other city in the nation. The homeless population in the entertainment capital of the world has hit new record highs in each of the past few years.
But a 39-year-old struggling musician from South LA thought he had a creative fix. Elvis Summers, who went through stretches of homelessness himself in his 20s, raised over $100,000 through crowdfunding campaigns last spring. With the help of professional contractors and others in the community who sign up to volunteer through his nonprofit, Starting Human, he has built dozens of solar-powered, tiny houses to shelter the homeless since.
Summers says that the houses are meant to be a temporary solution that, unlike a tent, provides the secure foundation residents need to improve their lives. "The tiny houses provide immediate shelter," he explains. "People can lock their stuff up and know that when they come back from their drug treatment program or court or finding a job all day, their stuff is where they left it."
Each house features a solar power system, a steel-reinforced door, a camping toilet, a smoke detector, and even window alarms. The tiny structures cost Summers roughly $1,200 apiece to build.
LA city officials, however, had a different plan to address the crisis. A decade after the city's first 10-year plan to end homelessness withered in 2006, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced in February a $1.87 billion proposal to get all LA residents off the streets, once and for all. He and the City Council aim to build 10,000 units of permanent housing with supportive services over the next decade. In the interim, they are shifting funds away from temporary and emergency shelters.
Councilmember Curren Price, who represents the district where Summers's tiny houses were located, does not believe they are beneficial either to the community or to the homeless people housed in them. "I don't really want to call them houses. They're really just boxes," says Price. "They're not safe, and they impose real hazards for neighbors in the community."
Most of Summers's tiny houses are on private land that has been donated to the project. A handful had replaced the tents that have proliferated on freeway overpasses in the city. Summers put them there until he could secure a private lot to create a tiny house village similar to those that already exist in Portland, Seattle, Austin, and elsewhere. "My whole issue and cause is that something needs to be done right now," Summers emphasizes.
But the houses, nestled among dour tent shantytowns, became brightly colored targets early this year for frustrated residents who want the homeless out of their backyards. Councilmember Price was bombarded by complaints from angry constituents.
In February, the City Council responded by amending a sweeps ordinance to allow the tiny houses to be seized without prior notice. On the morning of the ninth, just as the mayor and council gathered at City Hall to announce their new plan to end homelessness, police and garbage trucks descended on the tiny homes, towing three of them to a Bureau of Sanitation lot for disposal. Summers managed to move eight of the threatened houses into storage before they were confiscated, but their residents were left back on the sidewalk.
If the city won't devote any resources to supporting novel solutions, Summers urges officials at least to make it easier for private organizations and individuals like him to pave the way forward. The city owns thousands of vacant lots, many of which have been abandoned for decades, that could provide sites for tiny house villages or other innovative housing concepts that can have an immediate impact.
"Everything that they have been doing doesn't work. It's just years of circles and bureaucratic holds and wait times," says Summers. "10, 20, 30, 40 years-where's all the housing?"
Produced by Justin Monticello. Shot by Alex Manning and Zach Weissmueller. Additional footage courtesy of Elvis Summers. Music by Silent Partner, Riot, Kevin MacLeod, Audionautix, Battle of Wood, Topher Mohr and Alex Elena, The 126ers, and Elettroliti.
You're supposed to be fighting poverty, not poor people.
Yeah. That promise to get rid of poor people out of street. It sounded like they gonna use kill squads for that. Yikes.
Then increase underpaid's salary to $15 n hour, as McDonald's, Subway and etc...
when your voting block consist of poor people, do you think you have an incentive to create more ??
@@whaatt6791 fixed ;)
@@datdude5886 Then the businesses would just hire less people. Over work them. 😕
Someone’s tax dollars went to destroying these people’s homes
:(
So frustrating to watch 😡
Same, it pissed me off
Good to know my government is putting it to good use. Like taking the homes from the homeless instead of providing them.
that's right its sad, because the city makes more money on the poor when they are not safe.
I used to rent what I called "the doghouse". I was going through a period of poverty, but someone was kind enough to allow me to rent what was essentially a large shed with a sink and toilet. Two years later, I am now employed full time as a machinist, and living with my beautiful girlfriend.
Elvis Summers is one hell of a man. I'd feel lucky to even shake his hand. Such an admirable individual. We need a lot more like him. Thank you for everything you have done & continue to do for those people, sir. You're an angel doing God's work.
Amen !!
Amen 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
did jesus built shelters for everybody?
Government absolutely despises people coming up with their own solutions. They own a monopoly on that.
Well, BE the government. Americans need to get power back in their hands.
democrats hate private charity that can offer far better solutions than they can
well how are you supposed to sieze rights and freedoms from the people if there isint a boogeyman of some social ill to justify it?
Yup, same thing with vaping. FDA regulations will create a de facto ban on vaping in 2018. Vaping's a consumer solution for a way to quit smoking when the "approved" methods did nothing.
So stop Voting for Democrats who's God IS BIG GOVERNMENT....
This is an innovative, low-cost solution that is funded through voluntary donations.
Government steps in and stops it.
Idiots.
Idiots ? i prefer monsters.
Idiocracy at its finest.
Maybe we should start stealing homeless people from the streets and shelter, feed, and give them hope, Its more logical than what the government does.
Karen's helped
It was NEVER the governments job to do ANYTHING in our lives. It's their job to enforce the law and protect our nation. It's OUR JOB to protect the homeless, poor, widowed, orphaned, and everyone else.
I was homeless for years after I turned 18. Everything this Musician said is true. Now I'm living in government housing on a shoe string budget, living hand to mouth and at their mercy on a monthly basis. It sucks. You'd think I'd be able to finally save up some money for something better, but they have measures against that.
If you have a job then it should be a bit easier.
@@chris135x oh shut up you
Hope ya doin good fam
@@dheiyomain6775 Take your own advice.
@@chris135x and what do you mean
This man is a kind, compassionate and caring person who helped so many needy people. So sad that the authorities decimated the good he did. What a shame. These tiny homes were a great temporary solution to a big social problem.
I think that Elvis did a very humanitarian deed for the homeless, however, you know the saying, "No good deed goes unpunished." God bless Elvis.
That councilman is working so hard to sound like he did something. Worthless....
Every politician wants to do “something” and makes up enemies like the tiny homes.
@@aeoncalcos3246 what kills me is that they could've easy worked with the guy and used his initiative to come to an awesome solution. Instead they go out of their way to complicate the situation more and delay the help that was already being given. Just pure ignorance from folks that should be leaders of the community.
Adam West
The politicians don’t want his name on any part of it since he’s not a politician and he could possibly make them look bad by just merely existing within the public eye more than if they just shut him up and make him seem like the bad guy. And i do agree, but sadly none of these politicians, ESPECIALLY in LA, where i think it needs any ideas for the homeless problem.
He did something alright: he became a complete jerk. Also, taking away the possessions of another in this country is considered a crime.
@@CRAMAIDE I was thinking the same thing man.... Say that they have found a caring citizen with a wonderfull creative solution, everybody would win. First start with a test phase, come back, look at if stuff can be improved... It's so weird that a shelter is only for the night and just rows of beds in a hall... Politicians are affraid that their plan could fail so they don't take action... sad...
Imagine living in the wealthiest country on earth and yet, literally one man is doing more to fight homelessness than the entire government.....
How a society treats its most vulnerable and unfortunate is always the measure of its humanity.
@Brazilian Goddess About 2 weeks. I’m not debating the wealth of the country. It’s factually the wealthiest.
@Nunya Biz You know what I meant.
Decadence Culture I Tell You
american is not wealthiest country on earth with its housing shortage. if we where then a lot Americans would not worry about making rent.
God Bless you Elvis, it’s now 2022 and the Mayor still hasn’t done a damn thing. All those City workers should all be ashamed of themselves.
Can't decide if this is more disturbing or more beautiful. One person making a difference, and one government destroying it. They want more time to study homelessness, which they acknowledge having information for 10 years about it!! I would love to do something like this in my community.
They've spent billions of dollars on war, but can't give livelihood, housing and healthcare to their own people. Crazy world were living in.
So you think anyone should be able to just build a house and put it on public property??
How hard is it to study the homeless situation? That's the government for you. They always want to do studies instead of taking action. God help the homeless.
@@Milton_Friedmanite Most of the Houses stand on private property
@@Milton_Friedmanite Hence "PUBLIC" property.
"I don't think living in those boxes is an alternative to having housing"
So you rather have them live, freeze, and die on the street? Absolutely disgusting
I know. They are just being mean ,bullying these poor ppl who have nothing.
Thought exactly the same, like Wtf was that statement
The fuckers who complain about how it is not an alternative to housing are the last fuckers to help giving them housing in the first place.
They indirectly says that tents are replacement to houses.
@Blass Then people should try doing something instead of complaining.
@@banbans859 you call that bullying? You stupid then? They are literally killing people off
This guy did more with 100,000 dollars than the government will ever do with 2 billion dollars
I was literally just about to say that. This just goes to show politics, voting & government are not the solution. If we want change in this country we’re going to have to do it ourselves...
I say give the 2 billion dollars to this guy. I bet he could solve homelessness.
That's because he wasn't embezzling money on a hundred different levels of bureaucracy.
Democrats just steal 90% of that money. What do you think the Demoncrats were trying to do with the stimulus?
This is all about destroying property values and therefore lessening property tax intake...
These disgusting people who says the boxes house aren't safe wtf???there's so many homeless people who died in cold, murder and get raped.
Some rich people are disgusting
Yup! This is pretty much factial as this has happened to people I know and sexual assaults are definitely on the rise especially if your a homeless single senior citizen!
Some of the rich people have no clue because they have never gone without.
The main reason America can't have good thing is just pure greed and selfishness of the average person, greedy people, elect greedy leaders
I just do not understand how so many people can complain about tiny houses that not only look much nicer than tarps and tents but also provide better security to those in need. It's disgusting and disgraceful the way homeless people and especially homeless veterans are treated- not even allowing them to grab their belongings before seizing everything. This man Elvis is doing so much more with the money he raises than the entire government could ever hope to accomplish! Beyond infuriating!!
Hell will be full of politicians.
Look at who hated Jesus the most: politicians, religious leaders, and the rich. All the elites of society. Same deal today.
+Johann Wilder mostly democrats
khandi pwens I don't even believe in a hell and I 100% agree. Fuck these demons in suits. I wish them the absolute worst.
Bos paladin martinez I hate synths Cutting funding for the poor is a Republican thing, though.
Spencer but both can do it right
“They’re just multicolored boxes”
I mean thats pretty much what most houses are
With alarms, locks, smoke detectors, and wired for electricity.
Woke
I've seen smaller summer houses for kids lol
and tents are just colored triangles
True. I know this may be dumb but what happens if its windy out cuz they have wheels
Government is just furious because they can't tax those tiny houses.
They don't want people finding an effective and cheap solution, because they have a huge budget to perpetuate the problem and get richer off that.
I hate that the councilman had THEE damn nerve to call tiny homes “boxes”. To you it may be a “box” but to a person who has been living on the streets…they consider them home. You don’t want them sleeping on the streets, on the sidewalks, etc. but when there IS a solution…the government wants to take that away. I would love to see that councilman live in a box for a week and see how it feels. That statement he made pissed me off😡
He would rather they live in actual boxes (the cardboard type) than any solution they can't siphon taxpayer money from to pay for their new yachts
same
"They're really just boxes, they're not safe." THEY ARE HOMELESS!! LIVING ON THE STREET IS NOT SAFE!!!
One minute after that, the same politician proposed giving the homeless tent space in an abandoned parking lot as an alternative to the tiny homes.
Like...WTF!? How is that an upgrade!? How is an old parking lot full of dirty tents better/safer than box homes with locks, electricity, and privacy?
@@MsBrendalina almost everything they said was a lie.
The lady that said they were devaluing their houses? The harms look better than the tents! The tents were already devaluing your house, the box homes would have increased the value of their house.
it was just people getting angry at those less fortunate getting something for free. It was Petty.
I like how the man who probably has a multi million dollar home says that
Houses are just big boxes...
@@ChristopherCraven
The People : houses are less safe than unlocked tents that a murderer could zip open and stab them meanwhile a house can be destroyed by a guy with heavy duty equipment and they dont need electricity
Those rich residents getting "annoyed" with the tiny houses should sleep at least for 1 night on the streets
No. They should live there permanently.
@My opinion doesn't matter BUT! Well if u see into the future can u see the solution instead of doing nothing with seeing the future
1 night will be nothing for them, they'll se it as just see it like camping trip. Best to make it a month.
Yes!
@My opinion doesn't matter BUT! That's just common observation any1 can see that. Yea we might go into WW3 with them. So be it. But at the end was it not partly our fault
Blows my mind. No way to make money off of it, so the representatives shut it down.
I think, most people would rather see, colorful, tiny houses than a bunch of tents and debris.
God how I hate politicians
LA: *massive problems with STDs, pollution, drugs, homelessness, infrastructure, etc*
LA:
*Man helps to fix one of the problems*
LA: Motherfucker...
LA : "Homeless people are a problem!"
Guy : *Fixes problems*
LA : "NANI?!"
LA: Man, I wish someone would fix our homeless problem.
Man: *Does exactly that*
LA: Well, I can't earn money from this, so...
True
They're just jealous that someone took the credit that was """supposed""" to be for them.
@chris madsen of homeless people had homes they wouldn't be homeless anymore. this was a solution that could've been a great placeholder but empathy is severely lacking.
These houses are not safe? But scattered tents are😒.
Main issuse: They cant earn property tax on these homes.
Gabriel It is not just about property tax. Everyone is supposed to have a home. And everyone is supposed to pay for that home. Everyone is supposed to be tracked by the government. If anybody could just up and stop paying bills and do whatever they want and live in a tiny home, then we would all do that. How could the government get anything done without us? Wed all be off living in our tiny homes in the forest.
Monster Killer sounds nice, the government not getting anything done (which is already the case), and everyone living in their tiny home in the forest
Monster Killer they don't have jobs, at all. No source of income, they're still barely getting by.
Andrew Rodriguez And why don’t they have jobs?
@@2peopleandaperson_365 because they have houses 🙁😂
You know what these tiny homes do, it gives them a sense of security and stability and they can relax
And a sense of freedom. That's what homeless shelters lack - you're treated like a slave at shelters, you're ordered around, you get robbed and you loose all sense of belonging. These tiny homes give you your freedom back, you don't have to take orders from anyone, you don't have to worry about getting kicked out because you aren't "following the rules" or "making progress".
The math isn't hard:
-Box house = $1,200 each
-City Built "house" = $170,000 each
1.7 billion dollars divided by 10,000 "houses" equals huge payouts for contractors and city officials.
A lighted, insulated box you can't cut with a knife equals proof that the city is corrupt, therefore the knife resistant boxes must be destroyed.
It is actually very simple. They don't want those houses on the streets because they do the job for less. They cost a bunch of people a job worth a bunch of money and make politicians look greedy and stupid.
Obviously they have to get rid of them.
Then why leave the tents when they take the "boxes"? Because tents, while being worse for the homeless and posing the same (or worse) hazards for school children, are a crisis that politicians can exploit for profit. Tiny homes jeopardize that crisis.
"Never let a crisis go to waste"
"Never let some dude with $100,000 and the will to help alleviate a crisis that was going to win your cronies 1.7 billion in taxpayer dollars"
Exactly, and if the ones protesting these box houses were to see the cost to taxpayers of this 1.7 billion dollar project they might just change their minds.
Have you seen what the actual cost per unit is for the housing they are building..
It's $746000.
They aren't even trying to hide the corruption anymore. 🙄
Convince gov to let everyone that wants use an acre of free tax free land to grow their own food and live on. Ban farm subsidies
Yup 👍
OMG you get it! Now what to do about it b/4 I and others die...
The city politicians got butt hurt because a punk rocker stole their thunder.
That's true punk
And now they can't continue jingling the cup for government funding
And it's a bad move, these idiots should've contacted the guy and tell him that they will help with funding the houses.
AvEngEd LOL, I couldn’t agree more.
Everyone keeps blaming the politicians. But what about the busy body people that complained? Government rarely does anything until someone tells them to.
This guy building the houses should be in the government, not the crooks in it. We need more good men like him
The government know this, wouldn't be surprised if that was the reason they took the houses, makes the government look bad.
Defund the government
@@darealbigboss9116 i have a feeling you're right. The Democrats won't do anything for the next 4 yrs.
once you get affilated with the government, you blend in with the crooks within
They create a problem to then ask for money too fix it soak up the money before they even lift a hammer then ask for more funding
We've had someone do something like this in the same state but further inland.
Those councilmen, neighbors and mayor are gigantic AH,greedy and absolutely ignorant.
In my areas those tiny homes have started helping clean up the tent camp areas. Our cities are slowly starting to look better and those that get into those homes tend to find work and move out onto their own home/apartment eventually.
I love what you are doing Summers , never give up on the homeless , it works if you work it , I feel the same way as you do about this crisis and wish I could be there building these homes right by ur side
"These boxes made the homeless far too secure, optimistic, and gave them hope. This is unacceptable! Tear them down!" Hell-Bound Politician
Flyingferrets5 You sound like you haven't thought about the problems these houses actually will make worse.
What are the problems and how do you propose to solve them?
Flyingferrets5 Where do you place those houses? Private property, in the middle of a highway, road or intersection to clog up traffic? On the sidewalks where pedestrians walk everyday and where cars park nearby? I see where the city's approach is on these homes, and I would agree with them.
lill pysen Who is racist? How? And how does that address any concerns people have?
lill pysen Do you even know the demographics of homeless people in big cities? Here in San Francisco they're mainly white younger people.
Man: gives homeless people free homes
Government: we cant 'take' money from this, destroy them
I mean...the government isnt making money from homeless people on the streets either.
SomeStupidFace • 12 Years ago but they get to raise taxes to get them off the streets
Democrats..
@@bMegalyth Which liberalism? Liberalism or liberalism?
Replace Earn with Take and you'll have an accurate statement
All the city government has to do is......STAY OUT OF THE WAY.
The city government could of let Elvis move the tiny homes to another location. But, no, the city government destroyed them.
This is seriously heartbreaking. United States is such a joke. This guy building homes for the homeless is truly an Angel. God Bless his kind, loving, beautiful soul 🙏
United States isn’t a joke, greedy corrupt democrat politicians are the joke
How do other countries handle their homeless ? Do you feel safe or would you feel safe living around this when a large majority of these homeless people are serious drug addicts, criminals and drug dealers? I know it for a fact. For the other folks who are low income or elderly, yes, there should be programs and maybe there are I don't know. But I do know that cigarettes are expensive and yet they're all out there smoking them pretty much doing what you. I know someone who gets more money from SSDI than I make. Yet they choose to be homeless because that's where they can use drugs, steal and do whatever they want. So it's a very complicated issue. Yes, but what would you do? A conservative approach is needed in my opinion. May not seem very Nice to some people but something needs to be done rather than just put a little Band-Aid on it and let all these boxes stay on the street. Who knows what's going on inside of them. I think by now we do know.
I know that there's a lot of able-bodied people who are on the streets who can't get a job because they have felonies and they have felonies for a reason. A lot of them will claim that the cops are unjust and that it's unfair. But hey a felonies a felony you break the law. You break the law so you become unemployable should employees have no standards?
I don't think there should be special treatment for any one who breaks the law repeatedly and just wants to be given a program and taking care of. What about the rest of us who work hard for everything we have. For that we barely have? Actually. I'm not willing for my tax dollars to go towards someone who just wants to sit around and do nothing except maybe repeat the felonies that they have in the first place violate their parole and do whatever they can like. Sell drugs, do drugs or who knows what else steal from cars in the middle of the night because they have no choice? It's a shame. A conservative approach is definitely needed, but it seems that everyone wants to vote non-conservatively so there you go. I think that's the root of the problem.
I go without food because I can't afford it but to watch someone who's "homeless" with these large amounts of EBT really kind of ticks me off. Especially when they want to trade it for money so they can buy dope. Let's get the facts straight on a lot of this stuff rather than have a bleeding heart for something we know nothing about.
"How dare this guy make personal shelters for 40 homeless people within 100k and not let us spend 4 billions to study the issue!" -local government
Local Government was virgin (Weak)
It’s because they want to make money off of these poor homeless people. When they pass plans they get paid as well.
@@clarasgift3067 its clear
@@clarasgift3067 and if they actually do solve the issue through a plan, what will they pass next to stuff their pockets; so they have all the greedy reasons in the world to keep this problem- a problem.
Just to go on record, this policy work. In fact it is written in historical record. During the 16th century that is exactly what the Chinese did. When there was mass homeless rate in the late 15th century, the Emperor order the Prefect of every single town to build up to 100 tiny homes of this sort. The biggest issue with homeless is the danger of living on the streets, just giving them a safe place to sleep during the night is enough to help change their life for the better a lot. They rely on the wealthy local businesses to provide the homeless with food and provided tax cut to businesses willing to participate. This is not according to Chinese record. It is according to European records. The Spanish and Dutch missionaries to China observed this system. Throughout the streets of China, they can't find one homeless person.
(Just to go on record, the then China's government structure include the Imperial Government > Province and City > County and Province City
Province City and City > Suburb > Neighborhood. County > Village.) There was also housing for refugees, some of those are Europeans escaping the inquisition in Europe or former black slaves. They used similar policies to house the refugees from Europe and Africa and it worked.
"We're trying to come up with solutions" = we haven't found a way to profit off the homeless yet.
Truth
roflsyndrome the government has the ability to solve this problem however they won’t do it due to the fact that poverty fills the greed of the government and democracy. It creates more problems so that the people have more reason to vote for one person that vows and promises to fix those problems.
Governments are CORPORATIONS and are in for making money and they are NOT HELPING man and woman. They want to destroy us they are SATANIC BASTARDS. They are THIEVES and LIARS.
Ryan Chua i couldn’t say it any better
More “studies” need to be done=We need more time to procrastinate
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If the government built these tiny houses they’d cost 100k to make and take 8 years to build
To be fair, part of that would be on the Unions. Without them it'd be more like 25k and a year.
The only reason they got rid of them was because they couldn't make money off them, simple as that.
Clay-J exactly, even after returning the houses, the solar panels were missing. They can't stand the thought of someone not paying bills while being safe.
true
Exactly! Fight corruption in our cities!
Clay-J You are absolutely right!
was about to say the same thing. agreed
The government is pissed because someone actually stepped up and did something.
Nope, theres laws against putting up shit on the sidewalk. What would be smarter is to buy a small private land with the 1/3 of the money. Sorry buddy this isnt how it works.
VV RXX chill
@@pinnacle9774 so am I you bald ass kid
@@pinnacle9774 yea edit yo comment cause you look stupid asf
VV RXX
You’re making yourself look worse by cursing at me for no good reason.
"If people want a beautiful, positive community, you have to build one."
“These ‘boxes’ are not actually secure lol”
Literally a couple minutes later in the same interview
“We Open up parking lots for their tents, tents are a good temporary option”
And people wonder why I say the government is entirely incompetent
No they're not incompetent. They're just evil and greedy and they think we're all stupid enough to buy their load of crap.
Yep and I bet they paid a consultant thousands to come up with that idea,
This man just showed how useless the government is. That’s why they confiscated the homes, because he made a bunch of government baureocrats look bad.
I want the Libs back. They were better than the NeoLibs
@@GenerationApollo I hope you guys aren't talking about the Federal Government this was made by the local governments but either way, I still believe in small government and that people shouldn't depend on the Government for stuff and free programs
This dude was solving problems with $100,000 compared to the local government's with $2,000,000,000 ans still not being able to solve the problem.
Land lot is expensive. Unless you build the apartment complex like 30 miles from downtown
@@mechamicro this is supposed to be a temporary solution. The government is trash, they're heartless
Ya 100,000 and made homes right then and there. Y is it going to take 10 years to build 100,000 homes because the gov. Still has to wait to get the money from the people it doesn't exist yet but it looks good on paper. Those politicians are ignorant and heartless!
Ikr
999 likes I'll change it to 1k
Shame on America. I can't believe how proud this country is and yet they have people living in the streets. It took this generous kind caring man, to wake the government up just because they saw that he was trying to help on his own. I can't believe it 🤦🏾♀️
Thank You and God bless You! You are an angel among us!
Stealing from the homeless, that's a new low
Building shit with no licence or permission, that's just stupid
@@Vojvoda595 Why are you wasting your time replying to comments like these? You could've spent that time thinking of better ways to temporary house the homeless.
@@Vojvoda595 hello government employee who's job you got from your brother in law we will replace you
@@Vojvoda595 do you need permits to build selfmade townhouses?
Here in the Netherlands you don't, so this is a genuine question
Magic Man8800 bet you’re a 10 year old racist
“If it can’t be taxed it can’t be built”
- Government
That is the problem with our society if it cant make money we aint gonna let them build it
Nah this is on CommieFornia.
@@mistacharles7020 Not even close to being communist, pal.
That and the people who actually vote are the ones who want them gone. And that's all the politician is going to care about.
@@Moszan yeah I think it's closer to socialism myself. To be fair not much of a difference.
As a homeless person, this is defintiley something that would help
Exactly! Hope I receive this kinda handup not a handout... I'm not looking for a handout just a handup......
Those boxes are better than shelters or tents. This is disgusting.
"Tiny houses are bad because they take up space and they're only a temporary solution. Tents and homeless shelters are better because they're a temporary solution." - Mayor of LA
The funny thing about that is that the tents took up just as much space. Also, the tiny houses could be moved, so they could have asked for the houses to be relocated. The recipients of the house could’ve been moved as well with their houses to private property reserved for them.
Mayor of LA is a moron
Instead they stole and deleted them . Digging them selves deeper is not wise at this point. Maybe that's why RUclips is showing us this 3 year old video right now to get us more angry !??!
@@MC-wh3xm California is ran by morons
That's california for ya. Shithole.
"I dont think living in those tiny boxes are a solution" Well until you CAN come up with a PROPER solution INSTEAD OF KICKING THEM BACK TO THE STREETS WITHOUT THEIR STUFF
Its because of money, the government is fiendishly greedy, it's disgusting.
@Aaron Patterson yeah unfortunately,
Living in those tiny rooms is better then the streets. Homelessness can be eliminated. But the classist corrupt. LA, goverment thinks otherwise.
well they can make an actual proper solution to end all of this problem for example is by helping them to finds a job or giving them a job one by one and giving them a home
*well too bad all they think in their mind is money and power*
Neoliberalism. Profit of poverty.
God bless you for trying to help.throw the dam people out of offices that caused all this.
What a fantastic being this musician is!
"The children have to be walking in the STREET!"
And they DIDN'T with the tents?!
BLACK LESBIANS MATTER
@@joshgen8533 yes they do but what is the relevance?
@@bamig8063 you see, thats the joke
@@aquarocket8165 much funny, such haha
@@bamig8063 I can feel your sarcasm from the this side of the screen
"We have too many homeless people on the streets"
*Guy builds a bunch of tiny, temporary houses*
*City officials dispose of them, forcing the homeless back on the streets*
"We have too many homeless people on the streets"
Yeah they always want something to complain about, and they'll do everything in their power to even destroy something positive to keep it that way. Liberalism at the extreme.
Conclusion: they need homeless people to ask for budget money.
Common Sense Gamer americanism*
Democrat State... Not surprising..
Nick Pisano that is so flipping right
God bless you Elvis Summers! You have my word bro that I will continue what you started, when I move to the US in the next 2-3 years God willing.
The juxtaposition between the humanity of Elvis Summers and the callousness of those who oppose his humanitarian project is mind-blowing.....like defining good vs evil.
“They’re not safe” but living in a tent on the side of the road is?
They don’t want to solve the issue they just want to hide it from the public’s eye.. sick
"Safety" is the mantra of the tyrant.
Local governments spend more money evicting homeless than housing them.
Apparently tents and plastic is much safer and less of an eyesore than "colored boxes"
Ya that’s both illogical and and heartless at the same time.
Those “colorful boxes” have 10x’s more dignity and safety than a filthy tattered tent.
I totally agree with you
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
They don’t want to encourage homelessness.
With those little houses can you still call yourself "homeless"?
@@TCX-up6hs .
The man at 3:34 says it all for me. People just want a chance and hand up when they are down. The politicians are mad because the problem is being solved quicker and cheaper than they can do it.
They'd really rather have the tents scatter the streets? These tiny homes look great and give the homeless much more security. This kind of shit really grinds my gears.
A colorfully tiny house looks much better than a ripped up tent! Id rather have a tiny house on my street than a stinky tent!
Amen to that!
it's about money, the government can't tax the tiny houses so they remove them. they just don't wanna admit it. 😡
How well would those little houses have been received if they were trendy student housing? Or if they were financed by a bunch of "A List" Celebrities? If Beyoncé paid for the houses, that woman leading the protest would be first in line to offer her backyard to place one in.
What really burns me is that the government was actively making the effort to transport and destroy the houses (thankfully, the latter didn't happen), yet they couldn't focus those efforts on helping to solve the issues that led to those houses being there in the first place. And it's disgusting to think that the city of LA re-elected that fucker Garcetti earlier this year.
+Jan CW That's so true. Everything's only okay so long as the "progressive" left does it. If it's someone who isn't an SJW hipster or a self-entitled celebrity, no matter how much good they do for the community, it's apparently wrong. Yet it never gets through these assholes' heads that their petty biases and vain attempts at virtue-signalling is what's always preventing true progress from ever being made.
Lol. I live at the epicenter of this mess. NO YOU DON'T WANT A TINY HOUSE. THey were mostly drug addicts that shit and piss everywhere. They need to be ran out of town for safety and sanitation issues. There are programs for these people and they refused to go into the programs because they don't want to get off the drugs. Fuck em.
In this I saw a musician act more like a leader than the mayor ever did.
He did wat God tells him to do bro.
@@melvinpeprah2698 I don't think you have proof to say that.
He just saw a problem and devised a solution of his own free will.
@@leehongjin6884 bro it's takes a good heart to do dis
@@melvinpeprah2698 Well not all christians are good peace loving people, and not all athiests are bad people either.
@@leehongjin6884 I get u bro. Well u are rite on dat. It's jux a good man trying to help others.
This video needs to be shown everywhere.
This made me cry. Well done, reason. ❤️
As a resident of L.A. County, I can assure everyone that the $2 billion went into good causes.....straight to these politicians and their buddies' pockets.
Yeah like high speed rail.
@@carlbowles1808 Yeah I hear that rail is literally in the middle of nowhere, going to two nowhere stations. I can admit there are arguments against the one that is being argued for in Texas, imminent domain usage and property rights being the main arguments against, but at least the plan is to have it going between Houston and Dallas, two of the biggest cities in Texas.
Exactly very sad
@@jamesbeard5513
Under the law new rail cannot be built unless the money is there. This is the railroad to nowhere.
@@jamesbeard5513 Same thing here in Colorado but its going to destroy our mountains. Plenty of people will make sure it doesn't happen.
Politicians: "We have a homeless issue"
Also politicians: *shut down projects aim to bring a more effective temporary shelter*
You gotta remember the civilians had a part too cause they were complaining about the houses its not just the goverments fault.
I like the "these houses are a temporary fix" criticism. Like a temporary fix is inherently a bad thing.
"Quick! Evacuate! The building is on fire!"
"Well now, that's just a temporary fix, we should just wait inside until the fire brigade comes and puts out the fire."
I would be depressed and ether take my life or steal a boat and join a pirate crew like sea Shepard because they feed you. So basically die or become a pirate.
@@che3se1495 This comment is flat out genius.
Bryan Villagrana yeah but here’s the issue, with those boxes they actually had a small home. A place of residence. Which makes receiving mail and also getting a job 1000 times easier. The city took it away from these people. That’s not fixing a problem.
5 years on hope you are still doing this and more, bless you
This truly shows how they feel about all of us, if they could they would just sweep us up and throw all of us away, You can’t just throw people away like garbage!They ought to be ashamed if they had any shame, or feeling’s. Shame on them for them for destroying the effort’s of someone trying to make a difference, We need to give a medal to this Guy, we need more like Him!
“I don’t think living in that box is the alternative to houses”
Well then provide damn houses. Because it’s their alternative to tents.
Shitty thing is they arent meaning for them to be perminate. Tiny houses for the homeless usually have rules saying they can only stay so long and have to show they are trying. They've been very successful!
A house is just a bigger box , this gives them a foundation
Hey with the novel Carona virus I'll bet if atleast 60 homeless people run around government buildings they may decide to fix the issue at hand.
The last thing these people want to deal with is unregulated housing lol.
@@josephwolf7552 so true
do these politicians even talk to the homeless people? such a disconnect
😶,I dont think they know how it feels. All talk....no action... when a guy actually comes and takes action,stops him and take away the homeless people hope.
They don't even talk to ordinary people. All they listen to is people who pay them enough.
They don't. For a long time now politicians haven't actually come from the working areas. Politicians don't come from the working/lower class anymore. They don't come from there so they don't actually know what the real problems are. Just whatever problems *They see* in *Their Heads.*
They're..."studying"...them. (Condescending voice) Smh. Whatever th that means.
thanks for the likes and inputs, taking care of society as a whole isn't the most profitable solution, sure but that's why those who actually help society even as professional sociologists and psychologists do it out of their own good....maybe politicians need to stop paying large sums to weaponize their own greedy team for their own betterment?
Do city planners really need a salary of $300-400k of taxpayer money a year while their cities rot over easily fixable solutions? I think not, let's not play party politics because both republicans and dems do this across America.
This guy is the man... I help this man get all the help in the world to give him strength to help the world be a better place..
God bless you Elvis a true hero
Love from London
A musician with a golden heart and a Council man who has never seen a shelter.
They're still a chance that the council person might end up homeless himself. How hard is it to destroy someone's life. 😆
Hey L.A. government, where
is that $1.2 billion dollars
to help the homeless?
In personal pockets. And not even of taxpayers.
In the pocket of those guys that removes the tiny houses
Oh the Democrats. One day people will see who the leaders of the Democratic Party has been since the 70’s. A bunch of billionaire egomaniacs
Oh you meant $1.2?
And it's gone.
Absolutely disgusting! Those poor people on the streets, not knowing what they've all been through, just to chuck away a small bit of hope to help them. Just mind blowing. That KAREN on the mic there.... ohhh boohoo princess. Daddy must have bought everything for you! Help who needs helps! Makes them feel better, makes you feel better. Wish this all what the world could realise.
This makes me want to bang my head against the table repeatedly.
Someone came up with a solution, and they disallowed it. WHAT. THE. FUCK??!
4 years later and the government still hasn't ended homelessness.
One of the wealthiest black communities in the US is located in this area and they were afraid this was going to be permanent. They chose to continue hoping the homeless will disappear instead... not working so far.
With two billion fucking dollars. Every one of those homeless people should be in one of these houses by now.
@@shirakou1 ironically you could literally just upzone a shit ton of the city and change the tax code to be land value and take out the property tax. This won't be an instant fix, but it will incentivise building more units in a certain area.
@@shirakou1 Pretty sure no homeless person benefitted from those 2 billion, lmao. A rich person in power probably did, though.
@@henryviiiofengland966 undoubtedly
I despise “concerned residents” who attack the homeless rather than the homeless system.
Sad bc they are the same!
The only correct action is to use the homeless to kill the rich. They want poor people dangerous. Let's make poor people dangerous.
That’s crazy, why would they destroy these tiny “lifesaving” homes! They could have moved them, allowed the builder to move them or sell them and help the homeless in other ways! This was a complete waste of this man’s time and the donations given to him for this purpose! I am incensed and well, California you deserve the ton of homeless people you have while citizens are leaving by the droves! This is so sad, it makes my heart ♥️ hurt!
Elvis has proven he can achieve greater results with just $100K and in a fraction of the time compared to the City of LA's proposed $2 billion, 10-year initiative, which, factoring in bureaucratic delays, is more akin to 20 years. The significance of his impact truly speaks for itself.
"They got money for wars, but can't feed the poor " - Tupac
@Vin Delanos There's a difference between being a useless politician and being an inspirational musician.
Except we had welfare.
It's not even for wars, this is LA lmao
YOU VOTED FOR THIS DUM DUM
@@henryclark4588 Hey now, everybody likes pac, both sides of the isle. 😉
This just shows that they don't want to solve the homeless problem.
Agreed! If they did they would've always done it.
Homelessness isn’t a problem.
Its a choice. A lot of people prefer it.
@@foxsquirrel3038 then explain a 2 billions dollars to solve a "Non-problem"
@@hoangdung7494 easy the 2 billion hasnt worked because they dont want help. Need proof? There are a still professional homeless walking about. People who want real help go to the salvation army. People who dont want help waste their money on alcohol and cant pass a piss test.
@@foxsquirrel3038 yo one of the home arsehold owners? ..i..
So the tents add more to the safety of children walking on the sidewalk, than the houses? Politicians and the people protesting, are hypocrits!!!!!! Need more people like Elvis.
He was trying to put them on private property and the government came and took them away.
God forbid the average person outdo the government
"These boxes aren't safe"
Ah yes, sleeping out in the elements is much, much safer...
LA logic
If it doesn't have a Gucci logo it isn't Worthy for them.
dude it pissed me off when they called them boxes, like thats nicer than my house, nah nah seize the houses that are nice enough, not 1k in bills every month get paid minimal wage, break of being homeless, and when shit breaks, just hope you can afford repairs, like very floor in my house has giant holes, the roof is bad, and its a popcorn ceiling, so its more toxic than the elements, and these people dont gotta worry about that and they get their shit seized, fucking love america
@@ChillingCap well you have to be a cog in the machine if capitalism
We're basically a massive ant colony and outcast anyone who's not in line with their contribution to society.
My boss said I need to get a waiver to wear a face mask at work because I might not be using it right. I asked them if I have to take it off then. They said yes. I responded so no face mask will be better for me than potentially wearing it wrong? Ya I didnt last too long there.
@@ChillingCap 1200$ per "box". Shit here in the bay that's the same for a studio apartment and they look about the same size.
Imagine being so cold of heart, that you would take homes from the homeless.
And not even let them have their clothes or medications. This inhumane
@@henkdeslayer ahhhh yes killing people in Vietnam makes it harder to see these people struggle.
Maybe this is karma, maybe this is a good lesson who wants "to serve there country". These politicans and lobbyists who pay you to kill people don't give a shit about you. They keep there power and money in stand by your simple labor. For the same thought maybe this guy destroyed people there home in outside country's and this is really karma.
@@user-us1yu8gx9s Invite them into your home.
Maybe you will see why they are homeless.
You can pay for their clothes and drugs out of your own pocket.
@@henkdeslayer "your rich dave you have power and power what makes you rich"
@@wickedmen030 do you know any of these men's service records? Many soldiers in Vietnam were conscripts who didn't want to be there and didn't do anything wrong. So it may not be karma, instead it may just be the Californian government being shit.
This man is a hero.
Was homeless there twice in the 80s. Am now in Phoenix fighting to not be again. Sadly, the problem has gotten worse there and across the country. Seems that corporations don't give a damn. It's deplorable the way those in need are treated.
LA sucks. I tried something similar and they absolutely do not want to help. The party in charge are hypocrites
I would rather see a bunch of tiny houses on the street as to ripped up shitty tents and trash. I see no positive outcome from taking them away.
Beluga 0213 My thoughts exactly, if the shitbag mayor gave two fucks they'd buy these vacant lots with their supposed funds and alliw them to move their tiny homes there until permanent residences are available.
Beluga 0213 yeah i agree I think that one woman was just mad because she had to look at them
+John Holeman "But, then who would get the lump sums from the tax till?"
THIS, exactly. That's all big government programs are - mechanisms of graft and corruption. The tiny house strategy threatened that, and the government slapped it down hard. Oh, and let's not forget the generous helping of 'not in MY neighborhood' mentality.
Yes, She was and how much was she paid,actor or maybe one dollar away from being homeless herself we all are ?? Loss of job ,sickness, or home. Just like all these homeless humans. Elvis you heart has waking of many other hearts , who are and now were asleep. Thank you.
the problem the lady meant is that one of these homeless guys can come out grab a little kid walking on the streets and buttfuck them. it is an issue which must be looked at but taking the homes and destroying them makes no sense
Governor: "those tiny houses are just temporary solutions, false sense of security"
Also governor: "they should go into shelters. Its a temporary solution.."
SJWs voted for this kind system.
@@SIedgeHammer83 It’s not like they asked for the corruption 😂
@@SIedgeHammer83 in a capitalistic democracy all politicians are moved by money and the person you vote for are 100% influenced by money so the highest bidder always wins regardless of the individual in power.
@@SIedgeHammer83 blame everything on the SJWs right? Not the capitalist Republicans who want to abolish SSI and Welfare even though disabled people need it due to inability to work? SJWs are nuts but they don't vote for the people who only care about money.
@@BigBodyBiggolo in a constitutional republic there are limitations placed on government to mitigate such corruptions. however socialist like to get rid of those limitations
I have a friend in Nairobi, Kenya 🇰🇪 who built himself a house almost like this. It’s basically corrugated sheet metal around a wooden frame with some windows, a door, and a slanted roof like these. He has to have someone come dig and chop out the tree roots growing around it every once in a while or else they would damage the frame.
After they kept removing them the government decided they’d build em bs! This dude deserves recognition
"People shouldn't be homeless."
*proceeds to remove people from tiny houses, and make them homeless again.*
"Well maybe they should just stop being homeless then sheesh" is what these morons think I suppose
Without “homeless” there isn’t a “crisis” that Democrats won’t fix, but want you to think they will fix.
these are the strategies of selfish individuals that holding people by the neck.. they keep them homeless so they had someone to promise when elections come they will help them.. and continues to say they will help them and still no actions.. i think people should start voting wisely not hopefully.. if an elected politicians act as they speak keep them, you will be glad to them..
Exactly. Those horrible ppl! Talking about they were just boxes. So what? They were warm and much safer than a damn ⛺!! Had a light a cell chg / carper. to a homeless person that's paradise! I cant believe the city could be so cruel!! Living in a tiny 🏠 is 100x better than living / 😴 on the sidewalk!!
I just dont see the logic of taking the home if they just end up back in a tent. If the city has a 2 billion dollar plan then purchase some land, build a shit ton of tiny homes, and get people in them. Then when the city comes in under budget they can brag about how good a job they did and get their little pat on the back. Then when you have most of them in a concentrated area use the remaining budget to fund programs to get them placed with a job and some mental health services.
The second you refuse to let someone get their medication and clothes out of the 'house' you're confiscating.... it stops being an issue about "protecting the community"
Protecting the community 😂😂😂 thats a good one
Every day I find a reason to say that California could be the worst state in the US.
Imagine that one person who had a dog, what if the dog was in there while being taken away??? I'd start crying and start fighting. I doubt that happened though but I can imagine it :/.
Smells like a violation of the 4th amendment’s provisions against unlawful search and seizure.
@@3munchenman Democrap state what else can you expect
Thank you for caring about others.
Amazing! This is incredible. And how unfortunate that Garcetti’s tiny little self was too embarrassed to admit that you did more than what he’s been able to do in 8 years, and instead of helping, defied to displace people. We need these tiny homes 10 years ago. -_- Keep building!!!!