{"id":35018,"date":"2024-05-01T10:38:47","date_gmt":"2024-05-01T14:38:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/?p=35018"},"modified":"2024-05-01T11:04:39","modified_gmt":"2024-05-01T15:04:39","slug":"sports-illustrated-model-leaves-california-due-to-dirty-streets-homelessness-and-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2024\/05\/sports-illustrated-model-leaves-california-due-to-dirty-streets-homelessness-and-more.html","title":{"rendered":"‘Sports Illustrated’ Model Leaves California Due to ‘Dirty’ Streets, Homelessness, and More"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Los Angeles Mayor Karen Pass recently publicized LA4LA during a State of the City address when she called on the \u201cmost fortunate\u201d to contribute \u201cpersonal, private sector and philanthropic funds\u201d to combat the homeless crisis in the city. The campaign pleads for wealthy Californians to offer funds so city officials can move the over 40,000 homeless people from the streets of Los Angeles into housing.<\/p>\n

Kristen Louelle Gaffney, Sports Illustrated <\/em>model and San Diego resident, told Fox News Digital over the phone, \u201cI quite frankly feel a little bit taken advantage of when I, too, have had to struggle and create my own opportunities\u00a0through hard work and education. Why should somebody have a piece of my hard work?\u201d Gaffney, a graduate of Sonoma State University and originally from San Jose, financially supported herself through college. She said, \u201cI came from nothing. I think the most my parents did financially for me was pay for a tank of gas and maybe some groceries here and there in college. We were very, very poor.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Gaffney maintains that she and other\u00a0California residents\u00a0have already contributed plenty financially through taxes, she pointed to families cared for by single mothers, veterans and older adults as the first homeless demographics that she believes should receive free housing. She said, \u201cDrug addicts should be last on the list. We should be focusing on the people that need help. Yes, but let\u2019s create more opportunities and less systems that are \u2018hand out\u2019 systems that people are absolutely taking advantage of.\u201d Gaffney added, \u201cHow can we create opportunities for these, specifically, single women raising children?\u201d In 2023, 65 percent of the homeless families in Los Angeles were led by a single mother, according to Gitnux.<\/p>\n