Changes in Reseda/Tarzana Since the Pandemic
Living in Reseda, California my whole life has given me a sense of security and comfort. Although I love to travel and explore new places, I always seem to return to Reseda as a safe spot where I know everything and feel comfortable.
I live on the outskirts of Reseda, so a block away from me is the neighborhood Tarzana. It’s nice to live close to Ventura Blvd because there’s always something to do and it’s just easy to hop on the 101 freeway and drive somewhere. Since I haven’t lived anywhere else before, I feel more connected and safe in these areas.
As I’ve gotten older and times have changed, I have realized that places change too. I’ve started to feel a bit disconnected from my neighborhood and kind of afraid. Things have changed drastically since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and the streets in the area haven’t been looking nice. What I did notice was that new properties were being built all over these neighborhoods right before the worldwide pandemic. Now I see more and more people moving into the community. As the months pass by I notice that the streets are getting more packed and the population in my area has definitely increased.
Based on the neighbors on my street, I would classify most of the people in the outskirts of Reseda a mixture of the middle class and working-class communities. Although the area was increasing in new properties, the homeless population also increased drastically this past year.
So many things contribute to changes in communities. Since we’re experiencing a global pandemic, money has been tight and many have lost their homes. I remember these past two years seeing the homeless build their tents and immediately get kicked out from the city. Now due to the pandemic, the city has suspended homeless camp evictions.
I live about three to four blocks away from the 101 Freeway in Tarzana. The fact that you would be on one side of the street and see a decent home and then cross the street and see a tent is shocking. Since the city can’t just kick these homeless people out, residents of the area are left to adapt and accept the fact that the bridge under the freeway is a safe spot for the homeless.
As I drove by the other day I noticed tons of people living under the freeway. The city even put up a portable toilet and a hand washing station to prevent more germs and people being exposed to the virus. The shocking part was that there weren’t just tents set up, some homeless people literally built homes under the freeway.
My neighborhood has drastically changed this past year and the community is looking worse. It saddens me to see such a great neighborhood go downhill because of financial circumstances due to COVID. This pandemic has taken its toll and has affected many different communities, cities, states, and the world in general.
