The City of Maywood, in conjunction with the City of Bell, provides the homeless of the area with many resources. According to cityofmaywood.com, Maywood is determined to end homelessness in the city by preventing people from getting to the point of being homeless. Increasing access to individuals to attain subsidized housing, improving income opportunities for individuals experiencing homelessness, and creating a coordinated system with all networks.

     If Maywood has a list full of resources to get homeless people help, then why has the homeless population in the city gotten so large that the school of MACES has started feeling the impact of homelessness on campus?

     “They don’t like the structure so when they get to the shelters, they stay for maybe until it stops raining but we can’t force them to stay there,” said Maywood Mayor, Mr. Marquez. In reality, these people do have a lot of help, but no one can force anyone to do anything they don’t want to, legally.

     If the City of Maywood can’t do anything about homelessness on campus, should the second largest school district in the United States, LAUSD, take matters into their own hands?

     “I think LAUSD should do something, but what can they really do to enforce it? Easier said than done, so I think it’s just better to make friends with them,” said Mr. Delgado, a MACES counselor. 

     Becoming friends with them might be the easiest and most peaceful option but the reasons for them being out on the street are unknown most of the time. “Student’s safety is a priority so if they pose a threat, they should be removed off school campus,” said Ms. Romero, a counselor. Reasons for being on the street could range from getting evicted from their homes to mental issues and drug addiction, which can make a person act abnormal and aggressive, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

     “To be honest, when I walk by them, they do scare me, because I don’t know if they are on a drug causing them to want to do something to me,” Danika Iniguez, a junior, said. Just like there are students at MACES who can possibly defend themselves or avoid walking near the homeless people on campus, there are also those who can’t defend themselves and have to walk near them in order to get home. “I think they are disturbing the peace and I don’t think they should be here,” Damian Plata, a senior. Plata frequently passes homeless people on his way home from school daily and in track practice when he has to run laps around campus.