By John Kwesi Broadway, Shaniek Brown, Liv Dansky, & Yundie Li

The space was reminiscent of an elementary school classroom with its banana yellow walls and orderly rows of desks, but the four pupils walking in had considerably more life experience. Christian Vargas, 42, was eager to participate. He interrupted often to share jokes, blow his nose and shout out right, wrong and unrelated answers to questions. Victor Alvarado, 42, sat quietly in the second row. He dutifully followed along with the lecture, mostly keeping to himself. Marcus Bennett, 55, was the most austere of the group. Tall, with a straight back and calm demeanor, he moved with grace and spoke with purpose. And Trezere “Zeus” Johnson, 27, with his blonde locs and bejeweled shirt, was the most stylish of the group. While his artistic flair was clearly in evidence, so was his boredom.

The students all took their seats, opened the clunky laptops at their desks and got out their workbooks. The class was led by Hannah Allison, a charming and bubbly University of Southern California graduate. She had already gone over basic computer skills and had plans to progress to email, Microsoft Office applications, Google Docs, and online career search skills in the near future. But in this session, she would teach internet basics and information literacy. Over the course of two hours, she covered everything from inserting and ejecting USB drives to moving files from a folder to the desktop, uploading files to the Cloud and searching for terms on Google.

These are the building blocks necessary to functioning in the digital world. Most of the students came to Allison with little to no experience using computers. Recognizing they were at a severe disadvantage in everyday life, they took the lessons seriously and were grateful for the opportunity to learn. In a blunt but accurate summary of the state of the world, Allison said, “A client’s use of technology impacts so much about how they’re going to get out of their situations.”

A shared history of homelessness and incarceration unites these men, and has left the majority of them unable to operate safely and successfully in the modern era. Two hours a day, three days a week, Vargas, Alvarado, Bennett and Johnson meet in the banana yellow room to learn about computers and earn certificates of completion. The seven-week course is run through a program called SECTOR (Skills and Experience for the Careers of Tomorrow) with the aim of helping people who were previously incarcerated get and keep jobs. The program was launched and rolled out to six community partners in 2021. Chrysalis, a nonprofit dedicated to helping struggling individuals learn the necessary skills to navigate the workforce, is one such partner and the location of the digital literacy class.

With homelessness at an all-time high in the Greater Los Angeles area—more than 75,500 individuals, which is about a 9% increase from the year before - there is renewed urgency to find a solution. SECTOR is one program, among many, that sees a path to success through digital literacy and wider access to technology.

Digital literacy can be defined as “the ability to access, manage, understand, integrate, communicate, evaluate and create information safely and appropriately through digital technologies for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.” In the modern era, it is almost impossible to get and keep a job without at least a basic understanding of how to operate in the digital space. Jobs are posted online, resumes are written on computers, access to email and cellphones are necessary tools for communication; the list goes on. What is more, each element requires knowledge and access—to computers, Wi-Fi, outlets, etc.—both of which can be hard to come by if you do not have a safe space to call home.

Unhoused Population

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On the whole, digital literacy and access to technology have been largely left out of the discussion. While Mayor Karen Bass and others before her have made it a priority to combat the homeless epidemic in Los Angeles, the most recent bill lacks any mention of technology. Building out more cohesive networks of free Wi-Fi and public outlets are small initiatives that can make a big impact.

Johnson spent much of the class distracted. He got up often and left the room for extended periods of time. Unlike the others, the native New Yorker has had a long love affair with technology and is already familiar with these concepts. He started rapping when he was eight and was recording music by 13. With just $200 in his pocket, Johnson bought a one-way Amtrak ticket to Los Angeles in 2015 to pursue his dream of rapping professionally. When he arrived, he had no money, no community and no home. Music sustained him during this time of instability. “I was homeless to chase my dreams,” he said.

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He bounced around for years, from the streets to prison and back again, in pursuit of these dreams. And now that he has some semblance of security and a community behind him, he is doing everything in his power to stand out among other applicants in the job market. Already familiar with the basics covered in this course, he views the certification at the end as a tangible way of demonstrating his knowledge to potential employers. He hopes to go to school, get a job in cybersecurity or AI and, of course, continue to make music.

When asked to speak about the role of technology in his life, he said, “I wouldn't be here if I didn't have technology to promote myself on social media, if I didn't have technology to learn on my own, if I didn't have technology to Google resources. I don't know where I would be without technology, honestly, it's such an integral part of life now.”

As it currently stands, his iPhone is his lifeline to success. He relies on it to record music through the application, BandLab. His Instagram page, @zeusstunna, boasts more than 35,000 followers and brings in small amounts of income. And it is the only way for him to stay connected to his network of artists and his family back home. But even when he was unhoused, he always made sure he could access a phone. “I would lose the phone, it would stop working, the phone would break and do all these things, but I always kept the phone because it’s been my saving “grace.”

This sentiment rang true for everyone we spoke with. The reality is that phones are necessary tools for survival in the modern world. Andrew Linares, a formerly unhoused individual who we will get to meet later, described technology as “a luxury and a necessity.”

RESOURCES IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY

Access to technological resources is of vital importance to unhoused individuals in Los Angeles and beyond. In recognition of this, there have been federal, state and local organization-led initiatives to help connect this community with technology.

One of the most successful programs in recent years was the introduction of Obama Phones. The initiative—providing free cellphones to people experiencing homeless—was passed while Barack Obama was president and is still in effect today. As a result, cellphone use is actually quite common. As reported by researchers at the University of Southern California in a 2017 study called "No Digital Divide: Technology Use Among Homeless Adults" 94 percent of unhoused individuals in the county of Los Angeles have cellphones, most of which are government-supplied. Every Obama Phone comes with a limited amount of data; about one week’s worth depending on frequency of use. Once out, users cannot get more data until the next month when the process restarts.

When data runs out, people experiencing homelessness have to rely on local businesses, nonprofit organizations, public services and the generosity of others to stay connected digitally. The Los Angeles Public Library system is one of the most utilized resources by this community with its free Wi-Fi, outlets and accessible computers. Multiple services live within the library system beyond those mentioned above.

Much like SECTOR, libraries across Los Angeles offer free online classes and in-person training sessions on a variety of topics, including technology, to anyone who needs them. According to Megan Katz, a librarian in the Science, Technology and Patents department at the Los Angeles Central Library, the classes range from drop-in computer trainings to more advanced classes like tutorials designed around Adobe Premiere Pro and Podcasting 101.

Katz also mentioned the Cybernaut program, which connects trained computer aides with people who struggle with technology. From computer help to mobile support, the Cybernauts work in the computer centers and are on-call during operating hours for anyone who needs additional help.

Other resources are also available through the library such as Cybernaut Tech2Go. Through this program, adults with library cards who are in good standing are given the opportunity to check out a Chromebook and internet hotspot for personal use over a six-month period. The program was funded by Emergency Connectivity Funds and started in 2022. The initial 2,000 computer/hotspot bundles were distributed so quickly—over a three-month period—that the grant was quickly renewed and increased to offer an additional 5,000 bundles. As of now, 90 percent of them have been checked out through libraries across the city.

However, according to librarian Edwin Rodarte, the grant is ending in December 2023. He wrote via email, “The program is not sustainable due to the high cost of mobile internet.” When the bundles are no longer offered in 2024, individuals will still be able to check out hotspots until 2026, but only for six weeks.

Beyond free Wi-Fi offered throughout Los Angeles in public spaces like Pershing Square, Griffith Observatory, Echo Park, Reseda Park, Venice Beach, Cabrillo Beach and in neighborhoods like Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and downtown Culver City, many people experiencing homelessness hangout in hotel lobbies. Assuming they do not get escorted out or asked to leave, the lobbies offer access to outlets, Wi-Fi and a safe space. When Johnson reflected on his time as an unhoused individual, he said, “I would steal clothes from Goodwill so I would look decent and then go to a hotel to charge my phone.”

But just because there is free Wi-Fi in some public spaces, comfortable seats in hotel lobbies and Cybernauts at the library, it does not mean that unhoused individuals have consistent and reliable access to these resources.

BARRIERS TO DIGITAL INCLUSION

The unhoused cannot operate successfully in the modern era without reliable access to outlets, working computers, cellphones and Wi-Fi, and the knowledge of how to use each entity. Linares, who is now the volunteer manager at the nonprofit The Midnight Mission, experienced this firsthand when he was homeless.

He was simultaneously feeding and fighting an addiction to methamphetamine while living on the streets. When describing this tumultuous time, he said, “I made sure I had enough money for two things: my phone bill and my drugs.” His cellphone was how he scored meth, stayed connected to his community, found shelters and everything else in between, but it broke often and easily and it was frequently stolen or misplaced. Linares cycled through many cellphones and many cellphone numbers while unhoused, but he always made sure he had one.

More often than not, the cellphones Linares used were the Obama phones provided for free by the government. Despite its many drawbacks—the slow speed, poor quality and limited data—the Obama phones offered him a connection to outside communities and family. As a result, his world came to revolve around access to outlets.

In a study entitled, "The Power Divide: Mobile Communication in Los Angeles' Skid Row" it was determined that a lack of reliable access to outlets “narrows pathways out of homelessness by limiting the ability to gain or sustain employment, to connect with healthcare providers and other vital resources, and to maintain networks of personal support.” For the average user, a dead battery is a minor inconvenience. For an unhoused individual, it could mean the difference between employment and starvation.

This same sentiment was echoed by Dr. Benjamin Henwood, an expert on housing and support for homeless individuals at the University of Southern California and one of the authors of "No Digital Divide" When asked to elaborate on his findings, Henwood wrote via email, “One of the biggest challenges we found is that people don’t have an easy way to charge their phones.” It is proven in study after study that access to outlets is one of the major barriers to digital inclusion.

On top of finding outlets, people experiencing homelessness also have to find working computers and Wi-Fi. Both are available through the Los Angeles Public Library, but only when the library is open for business during opening hours. In addition, upon visiting the downtown location, at least two of the 55 computers available for public use were out of order, as was one of the printers.

Broken computer at the L.A. public library

And this is even assuming that these individuals know how to operate computers. Digital exclusion and lack of training are the last and arguably most important barriers to fully reintegrating into society. This is where programs like SECTOR and trainings through the library system come into play.

But as organizations like Chrysalis struggle to keep up with demand, they have to navigate the realities of operating within the nonprofit world. As we saw with the Tech2Go program, funding is a big issue for Allison. She noted that they “used to be able to provide stipends and also actually be able to provide the laptops for these students, but we are no longer able to do that due to grant funding.” Without the funding, the laptops are simply borrowed by the students during class only to be returned before they leave. The reality is that money is limited and making technology more accessible to unhoused individuals is not a high priority among government organizations and other grant distributors.

INVESTING IN THE FUTURE

Homelessness is endemic to Los Angeles, and has only gotten worse despite efforts made by government officials to curb its rise. In April of 2023, Mayor Karen Bass, the most recent politician to attempt to tackle this problem, pledged $1.3 billion to fight homelessness. Her bill primarily addressed issues of housing and healthcare. Access to technology was notably left out of the budget. Mayor Karen Bass’s office did not respond to requests for a comment.

As discussed in "The Power Divide" offering free Wi-Fi and greater access to outlets are two tangible and low-cost initiatives that could make a huge, positive impact on the homeless community. The team looked at Skid Row and determined that with the existing power structure already in place, the cost of installing outlets and paying for the electricity would be negligible. They wrote, “According to our calculations, for the about 5,000 houseless people living in the Skid Row area to fully charge one device daily, the electricity cost would amount to about $5,500 per year. This represents about 0.00015% of the annual LAHSA budget, the agency that operates the bulwark of homeless services in Los Angeles County.”

Investing in a more comprehensive infrastructure of outlets and free Wi-Fi is one of the easiest and least expensive ways to combat homelessness. The more difficult task is investing in education.

Access to technology and the necessary digital skills that are taught to homeless individuals through organizations like Chrysalis and the Los Angeles Public Library are vitally important. Without a basic understanding of how to operate a computer and safely use the internet, an unhoused person would have a very difficult time finding a job, utilizing available social services and maintaining his or her community. With this education, there are so many more opportunities to thrive and contribute to society in meaningful ways.

Providing free Wi-Fi, working computers, digital literacy and greater access to outlets are four actionable initiatives that can and should be implemented across Los Angeles. Of course, using and understanding technology cannot solve homelessness, but knowledge leads to opportunity and self-reliance.

As Rey Faustino, founder and CEO of One Degree, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping low-income individuals access resources in Los Angeles, said, “Technology by itself is not a silver bullet. To change the systemic challenges of society, technology has to work in coordination and in partnership with the rest of the system."

TECHNOLOGY AS A NECESSARY LUXURY

For Angelenos experiencing homelessness, digital literacy is the crucial first step to becoming active participants in the workforce. With the knowledge of how to operate a computer, write a resume and browse the internet, an individual is more likely to find gainful employment, allowing him or her to contribute meaningfully to the economy.

Along with digital literacy is the need for government officials in Los Angeles to be more inclusive and thoughtful about access to basic needs like outlets, Wi-Fi and working devices in public spaces. With these changes, unhoused individuals would be empowered to succeed in our digital world.

If you are anyone you know is experiencing homelessness, here is a map of shelters in Los Angeles County.