Social service providers—people who work in human service organizations, such as homeless shelters, child health clinics, and drug treatment centers–struggled to meet the needs of clients during the crack cocaine epidemic. Residents poured into their agencies seeking resources to deal with unemployment and addiction.

Frustrated by tough-on-crime policies that turned a public health epidemic, crack cocaine addiction, into an opportunity to criminalize communities of color, South LA service providers worked with CoCo to identify solutions that addressed the root causes of addiction and crime.

Now more than ever, City and County funding must be redirected from policing and punishment toward care systems like affordable housing, childcare, mental healthcare, youth programs, senior meals programs, and more.