North Hollywood community concerned about pregnant homeless woman, hesitant to accept help

Community concerned about pregnant homeless woman

A North Hollywood community is concerned about Rainbow, a pregnant homeless woman who lives in the community. While the community says they've offered her help, she said she's hesitant, but is due to give birth soon.

LOS ANGELES - A North Hollywood neighborhood is raising concerns over a pregnant homeless woman who lives in their community who is reluctant to accept medical help, even though she says she's due to give birth any day now.

As I pulled up to the Lankershim Boulevard neighborhood, locals pointed out the tent of the 34-year-old woman who lives there. Her name is Rainbow. They've been very worried about her and her unborn baby.

Rainbow said she doesn't think she can handle the child after birth.

"I can''t keep her because my mind is just not capable of... the toddler... the school... the school part of life, I can't do that," Rainbow said.

And, she doesn't want help with her pregnancy, even though neighbors like Todd Schroeder have been coming by daily with water, ice, popsicles and advice.

"As a community, we are very concerned about Rainbow," Schroeder said.

"She clearly needs help, and she's completely unwilling to accept it," another neighbor told us, while a third added that they're "not prepared to deliver the child."

Rainbow said she can't deal with all the red tape that goes along with getting public help.

"They want ID, they want every single thing that I'm not trying to give because I don't want my identity stolen or worrying about crap like that," Rainbow said.

I asked her, wouldn't it be better if you had some medical care to, at least, help her be safe and have the baby safely. "It would be better if I had some place to stay that I could stay permanently and not be on the street," Rainbow answered. "I know that's never going to happen."

I asked if I could help her. She said yes. I called the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) to see if she could get help today.

A three-member team came out and made some progress. LAHSA's Deputy Chief Senior Advisor Lakesha Williams told me Rainbow turned down temporary housing.

"She declined resources to go into an emergency motel today, but she is willing to go to the hospital to join the maternity program," Williams said.

That's now being worked by team members.