Downtown Los Angeles has been likened to a "third world" area following the release of disturbing footage showcasing a homeless encampment, complete with open fires in the streets and sidewalks strewn with trash.
The alarming video, shared by Fox News reporter Bill Melugin on X, reveals numerous homeless individuals gathered on filthy sidewalks at the intersection of San Pedro Street and 6th Street in LA's Skid Row neighborhood. Some are shown near open fires on the street, mere steps away from the Midnight Mission, a $17 million facility catering to the homeless.
Billionaire Elon Musk, known for his commentary on California's homelessness crisis, simply reacted with "wow" upon viewing the footage.
Commenters on X expressed astonishment, with one stating, "Gavin Newsom’s California may be the wealthiest state, but its cities resemble those of Third World nations," while another remarked, "If you didn't tell us this was LA, we would think this was a city in a third-world country!"
The homeless population in LA currently exceeds 46,000 individuals, marking a 10 percent increase from the previous year, as reported by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.
LA, in particular, has witnessed a surge in homelessness since the onset of the pandemic, with over 10,000 more individuals living on the streets compared to 2019. Since 2015, homelessness in the city has risen by 70 percent. (Related: HOMELESSNESS in the U.S. reaches RECORD HIGH amid worsening economic downturn post-pandemic.)
The Midnight Mission, located just meters from the distressing scene captured in the online video, is facing severe strain on its resources.
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The Mission provides three daily meals, temporary accommodation, a barbershop, and a women's crisis center. However, despite their efforts, female homelessness in LA has spiked by 55 percent in three years, with over 90 percent of these women reporting experiences of physical or sexual assault.
To address the opioid crisis gripping Skid Row, the city has deployed mobile teams equipped with oxygen cylinders to prevent overdoses.
Meanwhile, workers from the non-profit organization Homeless Health Care Los Angeles traverse the streets, attending to individuals living among makeshift dwellings and witnessing dire health conditions, including substance abuse.
Los Angeles County has allocated a budget of $609.7 million to combat homelessness in 2023-2024, a $61.8 million increase from the previous year. Despite these efforts, Governor Gavin Newsom admitted last summer that the state's homeless crisis was a "disgrace" and pledged additional resources.
During his tenure, homelessness in California has surged by 13 percent, prompting Newsom to acknowledge the challenges related to high housing costs, regulatory hurdles, and local opposition to new housing construction.
LA mayor faces big challenge
Following her election as mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass made a bold declaration that would serve as a defining measure of her tenure: "We are going to solve homelessness."
The Democratic congresswoman, who was previously considered for vice president by Joe Biden, envisioned a transformed city with over 40,000 homeless individuals provided with housing and vital services to mend their fractured lives. "We are going to build a new Los Angeles," she proclaimed.
Now, one year into her mayoral term, Bass reported that over 21,000 unhoused individuals were transitioned into leased hotels or temporary shelters in 2023, marking a 28 percent increase from the previous year.
Numerous drug-ridden street encampments were dismantled, and housing initiatives are underway. Yet, behind these promising statistics lies a harsh reality: this is merely the beginning.
Billions of dollars had been invested to address homelessness in the region, and new programs had been implemented. However, the mayor acknowledged the possibility of continued increases in homelessness, partly due to evictions and the cessation of Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) aid for low-income households.
While Bass has made progress, tackling LA's homelessness crisis presents a formidable challenge. The city grapples with managing a potentially expanding homeless population, equivalent to the size of Palm Springs, without an efficient computer system capable of tracking individuals within it.
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