As a former comedy writer turned city hall worker and homelessness advocate, I can confidently say that my journey with Hayes Davenport has been nothing short of transformative. Working alongside him during his stint with Nithya Raman’s campaign and later at City Hall was an eye-opening experience that made me realize the power we hold as individuals to make a difference in our communities.
Hayes Davenport, renowned as a comedy writer, boasts an impressive portfolio, having contributed to series such as “Eastbound & Down,” “Family Guy,” “Vice Principals” and “Dickinson.” However, he made a surprising shift away from this career path, dedicating himself to a three-year stint at City Hall, with a particular emphasis on assisting the homeless community in Los Angeles.
He initially embarked on this venture by backing the election bid of Nithya Raman, who was later elected as a Los Angeles City Council member for the 4th District in 2020.
He shares, “Nithya paved the way for me to step out and interact with people, something I wouldn’t have found the confidence to do on my own.” He continues, “As I began to notice chances to aid individuals who were homeless, I was hooked. After a few instances of helping, it becomes something you can’t help but do. It stimulates and empowers you in a manner that few professions can.
In the year 2017, I crossed paths with Raman during my volunteer work with SELAH Neighborhood Homeless Coalition. When she declared her plans to contest for a council seat in 2019, I made the decision to leave my job as a co-showrunner of “Chad” alongside Nasim Pedrad, to devote myself wholeheartedly to her campaign instead.
When Nithya announced she was running for city council seat, given the significant role it plays in L.A., especially regarding the matters we’ve been handling and homelessness, I recognized it as an opportunity I couldn’t let pass by,” he expresses. “I couldn’t stand idly by and watch her embark on this journey without participating myself – that would have been unbearable. I had planned to return to TV after the election, but seeing my colleagues who I worked with during the campaign now in City Hall, dealing with these issues directly and making a tangible difference, changed my mind.
In July 2021, Raman welcomed Davenport onto his team as a senior advisor. Although he was no longer able to oversee writers’ rooms, his roles as host on popular comedy podcasts such as “Hollywood Handbook” and “The Flagrant Ones” served as an escape from the demanding tasks at City Hall.
On a Monday announcement via X channel, Davenport disclosed his departure from his government post after nearly four years – yet he’s showing no signs of reducing his activism efforts.
He explains that he has recently welcomed his second child and is becoming involved in more television projects. Additionally, he mentions that this seems like an opportune moment to re-engage in discussions about city matters, as it can be challenging to do so while employed by the city.
Previously the co-host of “LA Podcast” from 2018 to 2021, Davenport is now deep into initiating more discussions. He kicked off a new Substack called Big City Heat at the same time as announcing his career shift, and started a podcast miniseries just two days later. The main issue he’s delving into? Measure A.
Measure A proposes that residents assist in financing homeless services for the approximately 75,000 homeless individuals within Los Angeles County. If passed, it would increase the current 1/4 cent sales tax to a 1/2 cent tax. According to Davenport, this measure, which expands upon an earlier Measure H, is crucial.
Each day, I’m amazed by how drastically our homelessness system has changed compared to seven years ago when I first began outreach work. Back then, the options for individuals seeking shelter as volunteers were limited, with only a large group shelter located in Bell, California being available. This shelter was 12-15 miles from where we conducted our outreach, making it difficult for many people we interacted with to access, as they had never been there before or even heard of it.
“There were no city-run shelters at all,” he continues. “Everything was operated by nonprofits. Now, we can go to people and say, ‘Hey, are you interested in a hotel room in the same community where you are now, and maybe where you’ve been living for years? We can get you on the list for this, and there are services there, and we can keep working with you to get you into permanent housing.’ In the city of L.A., that’s night and day from where we were just in 2016, 2017, and that’s a product of this new service infrastructure that we’ve built up in part by Measure H, which we started in 2017. To rip out those services is to go back to having no options for people when you’re doing outreach, basically going out there just to hand out water and shrug. In many cases, this would stop even the outreach for the water step. It would just leave people to decay on their own.”
According to Davenport, the contrast between presidential candidates regarding their influence on Los Angeles’ homelessness services is as striking as night and day.
As a movie reviewer, I can’t help but draw parallels between the current state of homelessness in Los Angeles and a cinematic drama unfolding before our eyes. In this narrative, we find ourselves depending on federal aid for permanent housing vouchers and emergency funding during these challenging pandemic times. The federal funds, a lifeline in our struggle, have allowed us to house people in hotels – a feat we had never accomplished before. This transformation of our shelter network in L.A. is nothing short of miraculous, all thanks to the federal money that made it possible.
Apart from voting and learning more about it, Davenport suggests that those who wish to aid Los Angeles’ homeless population could find a starting point elsewhere as well.
“An email to your local representative is still a remarkably powerful force in local government,” he says. “Someone will read it and they’ll probably feel like they have to react to it in some way, and that’s especially powerful if you can get five, 10, 20, 100 people to email about something. If something is important to you and you’ve learned about some policy that’s being held up in the city that could address it, an email or a phone call really does mean something.”
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2024-10-31 21:49