CHATSWORTH, Calif. — After experiencing homelessness in the Chatsworth area for the last four years, Rita Dunn realized it was time for a change. 

“Out here you can take nothing for granted. Everything is a struggle from getting water to getting to being able to find place to use the restroom," said Dunn.

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Dunn used to work in the fashion industry, but she said the 2008 recession made it difficult for her to find work. Since then, she lost her home in Kagel Canyon, lived in an RV, and eventually, she became unhoused, living along the Chatsworth train tracks where she said the unhoused have faced harassment and cleaning sweeps.

“You get kind of sick of that and having to move around and having your rights trampled, and so I decided that I was going to start participating more in whatever I could,” Dunn said.

Now, she’s running for one of 11 open Chatsworth Neighborhood Council seats in the hopes of bringing a new perspective on how cleaning sweeps and policies on homelessness are implemented.

Alexis Anderson has been unhoused in the area for the last two years. Anderson hopes Dunn will be able to shed light on the struggles they face.

“Having somebody that’s in this situation speak on and be an advocate for us, we’ll be very grateful. I think it would be very beneficial for the situation,” Anderson said.

With 22 candidates running, Dunn has about a one in two chance of getting a seat at the table. That’s why she’s hoping to spread the word in her community about the March 21 Chatsworth Neighborhood Council Vote that will take place at the Chatsworth Train Depot from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

“It’s just, it’s really depressing and it’s a terrible thing to witness people lose their minds over time. As it will happen to some people. But I think that’s something we can prevent from happening,” Dunn said.

Until then, Dunn hopes to inspire others in the unhoused community to be involved in local politics to help share their perspective before new sets of policies are made.