Homelessness

Research indicates that women tend to become dependent on substances, including fentanyl, more quickly, and take longer to seek help due to gender roles. Fentanyl use has skyrocketed in recent years, even among pregnant women. In the Tenderloin district of the San Francisco, Bay Area, reporter Dayanna Monroy talks to pregnant women who struggle with addiction.

Addiction

A one-bed-one-bath "hotel" room in Monterey Park is home to 12 Chinese immigrants who live in overcrowded, unsanitary and potentially deadly conditions. There are dozens of such "hotels" or "boarding houses" that help newly arrived immigrants who don't have a work permit and savings. Without this room-sharing option, they would have to sleep on the streets.

Community Safety

After losing his wife and children, Ron Clayton, a Fontana native, faces health challenges, which lead him to homelessness. His story highlights the link between health and homelessness, and the need for better access to healthcare for those experiencing homelessness.

Father Yohan Kim, 68, a priest at St. James Episcopal Church, rented a house in the mid-2010s and began living with 16 Korean-American homeless people. Since then, Father Kim has provided food and shelter to more than 150 people. His church members and devotees are supportive of his efforts, but he hasn’t received any funding from the government including the city of Los Angeles.

Disadvantaged by language barriers and immigration restrictions, unhoused Korean Americans are in the "blind spot" of resources and organizations. Korean American homeless shelters often do not receive government funding because they are not officially registered. As a result, they rely on donations from the Korean-American community and the support of a handful of volunteers.