Former Los Angeles mayor knows why the US has a homelessness crisis

The homelessness crisis in America is growing day by day across the country, and Los Angeles is home to the largest population. According to Big Think, there are nearly 59,000 homeless in LA alone.

Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said there’s a logical explanation as to why numbers continue to surge.

“Lack of housing, not enough supportive services, too many people mentally ill, drug addiction, opioids: all of those things play a part,” Villaraigosa said to FOX Business’ Maria Bartiromo.

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Along with health and housing serving as contributing factors to the homelessness epidemic, Villaraigosa said the American economy, though booming, is a factor.

The economy is working but not for enough people

- Antonio Villaraigosa, former Los Angeles mayor

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Villaraigosa said the economy is working, “but particularly working for people at the top.”

“It's true that unemployment is down across the board but to live in Los Angeles and New York, making $12 an hour doesn't cut it,” he said. “So many of these people can’t afford housing when there's a housing shortage.”

So, what’s the solution?

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Villaraigosa said cities need to get serious about treating this as a crisis.

“Cities and counties have to work together,” he said. “We have to address the fact that we don't have enough services and housing. I think we're going to have to address a broken CQEA, the California Environmental Quality Act, which makes it so difficult to build housing.”

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The way to end the crisis, Villaraigosa added, is to build homes anywhere there is homelessness.

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