LA’s homeless on ‘Skid Row’ must be offered housing by October, judge orders

by Adam Barnes | April 21, 2021 | Apr. 21, 2021

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A federal judge ordered Tuesday that Los Angeles must offer housing to the homeless population on Skid Row by Oct. 18.
Judge David Carter’s decision came as a result of a 2020 lawsuit filed by citizens and business owners alleging the city failed to adequately address the homeless crisis
“Los Angeles has lost its parks, beaches, schools, sidewalks, and highway systems due to the inaction of city and county officials who have left our homeless citizens with no other place to turn,” Carter said.

A federal judge ordered Tuesday that Los Angeles must offer housing to the homeless population on Skid row by Oct. 18.

Judge David Carter’s decision came as a result of a 2020 lawsuit filed by citizens and business owners alleging the city failed to adequately address the homeless crisis, CNN reported. Carter’s ruling requires that L.A. city and county officials have 180 days to offer housing to Skid Row’s homeless and 90 days for unaccompanied women and children.

“Los Angeles has lost its parks, beaches, schools, sidewalks, and highway systems due to the inaction of city and county officials who have left our homeless citizens with no other place to turn,” Carter said in the brief.

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L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti proposed Monday to allocate $1 billion in the coming budget year to fight homelessness throughout the city. Matt Szabo, a deputy chief of staff in Garcetti’s office, told the Los Angeles Times that the mayor’s proposal would be the largest single-year offer.

“Despite frequent acknowledgments of the emergency nature of homelessness in L.A., city and county efforts to address the problem continue to be mired in corruption and plagued by a lack of transparency,” Carter added. “Bureaucrats create statistics trumpeting their efficiency and success to the public, but none of this has led to accountability or solutions.”

Yet Carter’s brief pushed to the forefront his belief that financial proposals should not overshadow the reality of the city’s homeless crisis.

“All of the rhetoric, promises, plans, and budgeting cannot obscure the shameful reality of this crisis — that year after year, there are more homeless Angelenos, and year after year, more homeless Angelenos die on the streets,” Carter said.

City Attorney Mike Feuer said at a press conference that his staff is “reviewing the plan,” adding that they are “analyzing the court’s ruling.”

Nearly 64,000 people experienced homelessness in L.A. in 2020, according to data from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. The number increased by 12.7 percent from 2019.

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