For the last 2 months, I've been assisting an unhoused mom of four navigate social services. The glacial bureaucracy that kicks you to the end of the line over and over for missing one piece of paperwork or having an emotional reaction to judgemental questions is soul crushing.

As someone housed with internet access, unlimited minutes, this process is incredibly opaque, stressful, frustrating and time consuming. How do they expect housing insecure folks with no income to survive long enough to even navigate these systems? (They don't)

After literally begging, they gave me ONE $25 gift certificate to Panda Express for a family of 5! I was told that's all they can give me for the rest of the month! I had to smile and be grateful because I needed them to approve the hotel room for another two weeks.

I was told to take them to food banks but they can't cook in a hotel room. There's no kitchen and the only sink is a tiny one in the bathroom that can't even fit one regular size plate let alone anything you'd need to cook for a family of 5. None of this makes any sense.

I'm lucky that I know folks at @polospantry @GroundGameLA @KtownforAll and others who aren't on here. They have helped bridge the gap by giving immediate non-judgemental mutual aid so the family can at least eat. This whole system is a disaster. And this is just one family.

I've met dozens more in the last two weeks who are slipping through the cracks. I am at a loss but need to fill out three more forms for three different agencies by end of day today or else it'll be at least another month before they get help.

This is #GarcettiVille