Tents are now all over LA County. But the so-called “shelter-resistant” population is most evident in Skid Row, the portion of downtown where many of the city’s homeless shelters, temporary housing and homeless services have traditionally been concentrated.
At the root of this tremendously complex problem is the fact that many within LA’s unsheltered population are grappling with substance abuse addictions and untreated mental illness. Another major factor is that a series of lawsuits against the city — aimed at preserving the rights of homeless people to protect their property — has created a semipermanent tent culture in some sectors of LA.
