{"id":1918,"date":"2026-07-08T22:05:03","date_gmt":"2026-07-08T17:05:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=1918"},"modified":"2026-07-08T22:05:03","modified_gmt":"2026-07-08T17:05:03","slug":"on-skid-row-decades-of-frustration-will-the-next-mayor-have-a-plan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=1918","title":{"rendered":"On Skid Row, decades of frustration. Will the next mayor have a plan?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" data-element=\"story-body\" data-subscriber-content=\"\">\n<p>On my way through Skid Row to meet up with Estela Lopez, things looked pretty much as they did when I spent time there <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/entertainment-arts\/story\/la-timeless\/violinist-has-the-world-on-2-strings\"><u>more than 20 years ago<\/u><\/a> and first heard the promises that things would be better soon.<\/p>\n<p>Tents lined some of the sidewalks, making them unpassable. Some people wore the damage of physical or mental disease, addiction, poverty, or all of the above. Outreach workers with ID lanyards strode through the trash-strewn landscape like lifeguards working against endless tides of fresh emergencies.<\/p>\n<p>When I arrived at Lopez\u2019s office in the 700 block of Crocker Street, where she runs a business improvement district on behalf of 600 or so beleaguered merchants, she had just completed a tour of the neighborhood with <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/california\/story\/2026-05-01\/2026-california-election-los-angeles-city-attorney-feldstein-soto-roy-ashouri-mckinney-voter-guide\"><u>John McKinney,<\/u><\/a> a candidate for city attorney.<\/p>\n<p>She held a note card in her hand and shared some numbers, telling McKinney that by her latest count, 131 of the 702 streetlights in the district were out, 27 children were living on Skid Row, and 72 RVs were parked in the area.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI came out here because I think this symbolizes the greatest failure in government,\u201d McKinney said. \u201cI think it\u2019s the result of bad law and bad policy. I think it\u2019s the result of a lack of leadership and indifference to the way people are living out here. To me, it\u2019s completely untenable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But will anything ever change?<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a question two people in particular need to address, and I\u2019ll get to that in a minute.<\/p>\n<p>A lot of people I trust and admire work tirelessly to make a difference on Skid Row, and they\u2019re always eager to share the success stories of those who move through and move on. (I\u2019ve got a column on that coming up soon.)<\/p>\n<p>The long-standing problem is that Skid Row is both a social service center and a mecca of drugs and other vices, with traps on every block. And so it\u2019s a neighborhood at war with itself, with some viewing Skid Row as one of the largest recovery centers in the country while others see a snapshot of social collapse.<\/p>\n<p>Estela Lopez has reached out to me several times over the years. <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/local\/california\/la-me-lopez-skid-row-trash-homeless-merchants-20190525-story.html\">About illegal dumping<\/a>. Typhus. Calls to City Hall that don\u2019t get answered. About the relentless plague of fires, overdoses and assaults.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCan you imagine, in 24 years, how many people I\u2019ve seen dead on these streets?\u201d Lopez asked me near her office last week.<\/p>\n<div class=\"enhancement\" data-click=\"enhancement\" data-align-center=\"\">\n<figure class=\"figure m-0\"> <picture><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/55edcad\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/7073x5276+0+0\/resize\/320x239!\/format\/webp\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fe4%2Fe6%2F6ba5b4b14d759f240794a8fdf98d%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-001.jpg 320w,https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/423b14d\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/7073x5276+0+0\/resize\/568x424!\/format\/webp\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fe4%2Fe6%2F6ba5b4b14d759f240794a8fdf98d%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-001.jpg 568w,https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/fcb530d\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/7073x5276+0+0\/resize\/768x573!\/format\/webp\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fe4%2Fe6%2F6ba5b4b14d759f240794a8fdf98d%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-001.jpg 768w,https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/6566e2a\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/7073x5276+0+0\/resize\/1024x764!\/format\/webp\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fe4%2Fe6%2F6ba5b4b14d759f240794a8fdf98d%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-001.jpg 1024w,https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/8c96be7\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/7073x5276+0+0\/resize\/1200x895!\/format\/webp\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fe4%2Fe6%2F6ba5b4b14d759f240794a8fdf98d%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-001.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"100vw\"\/><img class=\"image\" alt=\"Estela Lopez walks through Skid Row\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/2752e3c\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/7073x5276+0+0\/resize\/320x239!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fe4%2Fe6%2F6ba5b4b14d759f240794a8fdf98d%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-001.jpg 320w,https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/718d2fb\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/7073x5276+0+0\/resize\/568x424!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fe4%2Fe6%2F6ba5b4b14d759f240794a8fdf98d%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-001.jpg 568w,https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/7dd873a\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/7073x5276+0+0\/resize\/768x573!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fe4%2Fe6%2F6ba5b4b14d759f240794a8fdf98d%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-001.jpg 768w,https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/872339c\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/7073x5276+0+0\/resize\/1024x764!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fe4%2Fe6%2F6ba5b4b14d759f240794a8fdf98d%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-001.jpg 1024w,https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/e919310\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/7073x5276+0+0\/resize\/1200x895!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fe4%2Fe6%2F6ba5b4b14d759f240794a8fdf98d%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-001.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, 100vw\" width=\"1200\" height=\"895\" src=\"https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/e919310\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/7073x5276+0+0\/resize\/1200x895!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fe4%2Fe6%2F6ba5b4b14d759f240794a8fdf98d%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-001.jpg\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>   <\/picture>\n<div class=\"figure-content\">\n<p>Estela Lopez runs a business improvement district on behalf of 600 or so beleaguered merchants.<\/p>\n<p>(Genaro Molina \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<p>When the local post office closed recently in part because of security issues, Lopez told The Times\u2019 Melissa Gomez that \u201cwe have reached a point in this city where <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/california\/story\/2026-06-30\/skid-rows-only-post-office-has-closed-because-of-safety-concerns\"><u>we are unable to address criminal activity. <\/u><\/a>\u2026 It\u2019s surrender.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>We walked to the corner of 8th Street, where paramedics had just pulled away from a medical emergency. Cars and pedestrians stopped at tents for brief transactions, leaving little doubt as to the nature of the business being conducted.<\/p>\n<p>We passed a caged dog and saw a puppy on a short leash being loaded into a vehicle. There\u2019s a lot of talk about dogs being bred and sold, and Lopez said she\u2019s seen evidence of animals being mistreated.<\/p>\n<p>On 7th Street we passed the charred residue of a recent fire. A half block east, four men were slumped on the sidewalk, hitting pipes. Lopez gets calls from exasperated merchants dealing with vandalism and with people blocking their storefronts.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve never seen so many people overdose right here,\u201d said Sergio Moreno, who runs a check-cashing business and said his family has been in business going back to the \u201870s. He said he\u2019s seen paramedics use naloxone to revive opioid users, only to see the same people go down again just days later.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow can you run a business?\u201d asked Moreno, who chairs the board of the business improvement district Lopez runs. \u201cThis business is our life. This is how we got through school, this is how we put our kids through school.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And yet despite paying city taxes and BID fees, Moreno said, problems persist and his customers fear for their safety.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/california\/story\/2024-02-24\/column-aggressive-treatment-on-the-streets-of-skid-row-by-a-renegade-m-d\"><u>Dr. Susan Partovi<\/u><\/a>, a street medic for 22 years, has been advocating for more proactive intervention for those in obvious distress. Partovi told me she recently saw a man rise from a gutter, pull down his pants and defecate in front of her. She called to get help for him but said neither paramedics nor police determined him to be gravely disabled.<\/p>\n<div class=\"enhancement\" data-click=\"enhancement\" data-align-center=\"\">\n<figure class=\"figure m-0\"> <picture><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/6021da3\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/3880x2954+0+0\/resize\/320x244!\/format\/webp\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fea%2F77%2F361d23ca429cac69d10a7c3d4d2c%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-014.jpg 320w,https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/46b6008\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/3880x2954+0+0\/resize\/568x433!\/format\/webp\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fea%2F77%2F361d23ca429cac69d10a7c3d4d2c%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-014.jpg 568w,https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/b651cfa\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/3880x2954+0+0\/resize\/768x585!\/format\/webp\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fea%2F77%2F361d23ca429cac69d10a7c3d4d2c%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-014.jpg 768w,https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/e1ddce9\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/3880x2954+0+0\/resize\/1024x780!\/format\/webp\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fea%2F77%2F361d23ca429cac69d10a7c3d4d2c%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-014.jpg 1024w,https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/97031a4\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/3880x2954+0+0\/resize\/1200x914!\/format\/webp\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fea%2F77%2F361d23ca429cac69d10a7c3d4d2c%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-014.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"100vw\"\/><img class=\"image\" alt=\"A woman walks past homeless and others residents of Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/35b0b4d\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/3880x2954+0+0\/resize\/320x244!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fea%2F77%2F361d23ca429cac69d10a7c3d4d2c%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-014.jpg 320w,https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/29a3e65\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/3880x2954+0+0\/resize\/568x433!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fea%2F77%2F361d23ca429cac69d10a7c3d4d2c%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-014.jpg 568w,https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/3f02c2b\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/3880x2954+0+0\/resize\/768x585!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fea%2F77%2F361d23ca429cac69d10a7c3d4d2c%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-014.jpg 768w,https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/1a856c5\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/3880x2954+0+0\/resize\/1024x780!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fea%2F77%2F361d23ca429cac69d10a7c3d4d2c%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-014.jpg 1024w,https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/ccaf6f7\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/3880x2954+0+0\/resize\/1200x914!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fea%2F77%2F361d23ca429cac69d10a7c3d4d2c%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-014.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, 100vw\" width=\"1200\" height=\"914\" src=\"https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/ccaf6f7\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/3880x2954+0+0\/resize\/1200x914!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fea%2F77%2F361d23ca429cac69d10a7c3d4d2c%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-014.jpg\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>   <\/picture>\n<div class=\"figure-content\">\n<p>Lopez walks past residents of Skid Row last week. By her latest count, 131 of the 702 streetlights in the district were out, 27 children were living on Skid Row, and 72 RVs were parked in the area.<\/p>\n<p>(Genaro Molina \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<p>\u201cWe have become complacent with having people lying in the gutter, having diarrhea, speaking nonsensically and putting their lives at risk,\u201d said Partovi, whom I once accompanied as she administered long-acting anti-psychotic injections, arguing that people need clear heads to make better choices.<\/p>\n<p>One sore point for Lopez is the <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/homeless.lacounty.gov\/skid-row-care-campus\/\" target=\"_blank\"><u>Skid Row Care Campus<\/u><\/a> in the 400 block of Crocker Street, which opened a little more than a year ago and offers all sorts of social services, meds that reduce drug cravings, and supplies that allow for safe use of drugs.<\/p>\n<p>Lopez said she understands the theory of harm reduction: Engage people with a goal of getting them into treatment and back on track. But she wonders how successful such programs are, and argues that they become magnets for lawlessness.<\/p>\n<p>As we talked, a young man approached and told Lopez he\u2019d seen her airing her grievances on TV news.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m wondering, what would be your solution?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI would hope that people could return to life in sobriety,\u201d Lopez responded.<\/p>\n<p>The man said he is \u201ctrying to elevate\u201d himself, but that he\u2019d been on a waiting list for housing for six months.<\/p>\n<p>Lopez is tired of being on a waiting list, too.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf something is working down here,\u201d she told me, \u201cyou can\u2019t prove it by me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Progress is undeniable, said <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/california\/story\/2022-07-16\/he-was-homeless-and-in-hospice-his-recovery-is-a-lesson-in-what-it-takes-to-save-a-life\"><u>Sieglinde von Deffner<\/u><\/a>, a social worker and Skid Row coordinator for the Los Angeles County Department of Homeless Services and Housing. But given the \u201chighly vulnerable\u201d nature of the population, \u201cthe need is colossal,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"enhancement\" data-click=\"enhancement\" data-align-center-expanded=\"\">\n<figure class=\"figure m-0\"> <picture><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/c911b47\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/7280x5464+0+0\/resize\/320x240!\/format\/webp\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F2a%2F28%2Fffc87c104801bd9b94b0a23afa9b%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-002.jpg 320w,https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/4785be4\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/7280x5464+0+0\/resize\/568x426!\/format\/webp\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F2a%2F28%2Fffc87c104801bd9b94b0a23afa9b%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-002.jpg 568w,https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/59950a9\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/7280x5464+0+0\/resize\/768x577!\/format\/webp\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F2a%2F28%2Fffc87c104801bd9b94b0a23afa9b%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-002.jpg 768w,https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/bdb2702\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/7280x5464+0+0\/resize\/1024x769!\/format\/webp\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F2a%2F28%2Fffc87c104801bd9b94b0a23afa9b%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-002.jpg 1024w,https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/75745e5\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/7280x5464+0+0\/resize\/1200x901!\/format\/webp\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F2a%2F28%2Fffc87c104801bd9b94b0a23afa9b%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-002.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"100vw\"\/><img class=\"image\" alt=\"A man stands among his belongings in Skid Row.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/fc9ee57\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/7280x5464+0+0\/resize\/320x240!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F2a%2F28%2Fffc87c104801bd9b94b0a23afa9b%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-002.jpg 320w,https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/476d40e\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/7280x5464+0+0\/resize\/568x426!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F2a%2F28%2Fffc87c104801bd9b94b0a23afa9b%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-002.jpg 568w,https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/03e25d3\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/7280x5464+0+0\/resize\/768x577!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F2a%2F28%2Fffc87c104801bd9b94b0a23afa9b%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-002.jpg 768w,https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/de76fdc\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/7280x5464+0+0\/resize\/1024x769!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F2a%2F28%2Fffc87c104801bd9b94b0a23afa9b%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-002.jpg 1024w,https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/c34c4fb\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/7280x5464+0+0\/resize\/1200x901!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F2a%2F28%2Fffc87c104801bd9b94b0a23afa9b%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-002.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, 100vw\" width=\"1200\" height=\"901\" src=\"https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/c34c4fb\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/7280x5464+0+0\/resize\/1200x901!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F2a%2F28%2Fffc87c104801bd9b94b0a23afa9b%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-002.jpg\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>   <\/picture>\n<div class=\"figure-content\">\n<p>A man stands among his belongings along 7th Street in Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles.<\/p>\n<p>(Genaro Molina \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<p>\u201cI have not yet met someone here who doesn\u2019t want housing of some kind. We just don\u2019t have enough affordable housing for everyone,\u201d Von Deffner said, and long-term homelessness makes people harder to reach. \u201cNow, if we could just stop the inflow.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/homeless-housing\/story\/2024-10-16\/los-angeles-22-billion-homelessness-plan\"><u>Dennis Culhane<\/u><\/a>, a University of Pennsylvania professor who researches homelessness and served as an L.A. County consultant, said there are other ways to <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/politics\/policy\/homelessness-solutions-success-stories-f3b55b5b\" target=\"_blank\"><u>get people indoors<\/u><\/a> than investing billions of dollars in new housing that takes years to build. Culhane said single adults who are not veterans, including the elderly and disabled, constitute a majority of the homeless population. But assistance is scarce.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s like you have a famine, and you\u2019ve only got food for 15% of the people,\u201d Culhane said.<\/p>\n<p>Rapid rehousing is critical for the newly homeless, he said. But it can take two years for them to qualify for Social Security disability, and once they do, the $1,000 a month \u201cis completely deficient in the face of rising rents.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/politics\/policy\/homelessness-solutions-success-stories-f3b55b5b\" target=\"_blank\"><u>Culhane recommends<\/u><\/a> faster approval of SSI benefits and supplementing that income with additional sources of rental assistance. He believes there are enough vacancies at the low end of the housing market to make a sizable dent in homelessness without new construction.<\/p>\n<div class=\"enhancement\" data-click=\"enhancement\" data-align-center=\"\">\n<figure class=\"figure m-0\"> <picture><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/87bda25\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/7280x5464+0+0\/resize\/320x240!\/format\/webp\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F40%2F0f%2F4d7fe5aa424d87a52202a76298f0%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-004.jpg 320w,https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/6a2ef67\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/7280x5464+0+0\/resize\/568x426!\/format\/webp\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F40%2F0f%2F4d7fe5aa424d87a52202a76298f0%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-004.jpg 568w,https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/d5ce162\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/7280x5464+0+0\/resize\/768x577!\/format\/webp\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F40%2F0f%2F4d7fe5aa424d87a52202a76298f0%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-004.jpg 768w,https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/4e719a8\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/7280x5464+0+0\/resize\/1024x769!\/format\/webp\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F40%2F0f%2F4d7fe5aa424d87a52202a76298f0%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-004.jpg 1024w,https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/5a61953\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/7280x5464+0+0\/resize\/1200x901!\/format\/webp\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F40%2F0f%2F4d7fe5aa424d87a52202a76298f0%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-004.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"100vw\"\/><img class=\"image\" alt=\"Judy Mauricio, 65, rests inside her ten.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/b0e9607\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/7280x5464+0+0\/resize\/320x240!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F40%2F0f%2F4d7fe5aa424d87a52202a76298f0%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-004.jpg 320w,https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/488cc5a\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/7280x5464+0+0\/resize\/568x426!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F40%2F0f%2F4d7fe5aa424d87a52202a76298f0%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-004.jpg 568w,https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/c24af4e\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/7280x5464+0+0\/resize\/768x577!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F40%2F0f%2F4d7fe5aa424d87a52202a76298f0%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-004.jpg 768w,https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/0348480\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/7280x5464+0+0\/resize\/1024x769!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F40%2F0f%2F4d7fe5aa424d87a52202a76298f0%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-004.jpg 1024w,https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/8c8dbc0\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/7280x5464+0+0\/resize\/1200x901!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F40%2F0f%2F4d7fe5aa424d87a52202a76298f0%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-004.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, 100vw\" width=\"1200\" height=\"901\" src=\"https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/8c8dbc0\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/7280x5464+0+0\/resize\/1200x901!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F40%2F0f%2F4d7fe5aa424d87a52202a76298f0%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-004.jpg\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>   <\/picture>\n<div class=\"figure-content\">\n<p>Judy Mauricio, 65, who has been homeless for nine years, rests inside her tent next to her walker. She says her drug addiction has kept her on the street. She receives state disability funds and says she has cancer.<\/p>\n<p>(Genaro Molina \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<p>As campaign season warms up, I\u2019d like to know if Mayor Karen Bass and her challenger, Councilmember Nithya Raman, agree.<\/p>\n<p>The mayor of L.A. is limited by a power split with the City Council, and the county oversees most addiction and mental health services. But Skid Row sits just a few blocks from the seat of city authority, and nobody has more power or responsibility to address the decades-long human catastrophe on Skid Row than the mayor.<\/p>\n<p>Estela Lopez and the merchants deserve better. The people on the street deserve better. Thousands of housed residents deserve better.<\/p>\n<p>Does Bass have a plan other than what\u2019s currently in place? Does Raman have a better one?<\/p>\n<p>If so, I\u2019d like to hear the details, and I\u2019m available.<\/p>\n<p><i>steve.lopez@latimes.com<\/i><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On my way through Skid Row to meet up with Estela Lopez, things looked pretty much as they did when I spent time there more than 20 years ago and first heard the promises that things would be better soon. Tents lined some of the sidewalks, making them unpassable. Some people wore the damage of&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1919,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/7c93a4c\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/7280x3822+0+821\/resize\/1200x630!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F61%2F32%2Fc7261f514084aa2e41b2219ad22a%2F1561133-estela-lopez-dtla-business-improvement-district-gem-009.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1918","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-hub"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1918","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1918"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1918\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1919"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1918"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1918"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1918"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}