BURBANK : Forum to Address Homelessness Issue

Homelessness in the Burbank and the surrounding area will be discussed in a forum run by a local political group on Monday.

Part of the discussion will focus on Proposition 173, a ballot measure that would make it easier for first-time buyers to acquire a home.

“There’s a lot of stereotypes about the homeless,” said John White, spokesman for the Verdugo Hills Democratic Club which is putting on the forum as part of its monthly meeting. “A lot of working professionals who lose their jobs are losing their homes.”

The forum, at the local union hall for the International Assn. of Machinists, 2600 Victory Blvd., will include guest speakers Cherie Combs, executive director of the Burbank Temporary Aid Center, which assists the poor and homeless; Barbara Lazar, senior planner in the advanced planning division at the city of Burbank, and a representative of “Yes on Proposition 173.”

“We’re experiencing an increase in evictions,” Combs said, adding that the welfare payment for a single woman with a child has recently been cut to below $500 a month and general relief is below $200 a month.

The forum, which is free and open to the public, will run from 7 to 9 p.m. Monday.