Los Angeles is a city of contrasts and a home to both extremely rich and homeless people. Everyone has their own problems, worries, routines and mundanity. However, in recent times, the number of homeless people on the streets of the metropolis has been rapidly increasing. According to the Los Angeles government, their number reached 20% as of 2023. Solving this significant problem requires millions of investments in the economy. Nonetheless, the number of homeless individuals is growing every year. When Los Angeles is in the middle of a major event, the city is “wiped out”, thus creating a beautiful image. For example, the local authorities “cleaned up” the metropolis in April 2021 on the eve of the Oscars. More about it you can read at layes.info.
Power has been masking the problem for decades
On April 25, 2021, the Academy Awards ceremony took place in Los Angeles. But instead of the prestigious award, public attention was drawn to something else that happened a few days before the event. Prior to the awards ceremony, all homeless people were kicked out of the venue. The thing is that a lot of such people live in tents near the Union railway station, in the place where most of the Oscar events were held.
The homeless said that some individuals approached them shortly before the event and told them to leave in a few days as the site had to be cleaned up for the ceremony. Otherwise, the homeless would go to jail.
The municipality claimed that these were merely rumors and press speculation and that any street person had been relocated. However, journalists noticed that there were no tents near the station. Did homeless people leave their permanent location voluntarily?
Activists also complained that the city’s officials are not addressing the problem in any way. They recalled an incident that occurred in 1987. Then, the homeless were driven out of the city because Pope John Paul II came to Los Angeles. Thus, the local government covered up the existing issue and tried to create a beautiful appearance of the city.
Los Angeles – the capital of the American homeless
Homeless people mostly live in the central part of the city. They harmoniously fit into the elite picture of the metropolis, with their carts standing next to luxury cars, while tents and cardboard structures bordering skyscrapers and modern shopping malls. Locals have long been used to having such neighbors and are not surprised by this. It should be noted that roofless people suffer from various diseases and abuse alcohol and drugs. In tent areas, there is dirt, poor sanitation and a stench. Bathing takes place in the Los Angeles River. A large number of people who have nowhere to go come here. They pitch tents and live on the riverbank.
Overall, southern cities in the United States attract the homeless from all over the country. They come to the megapolis to find their place in the sun. It is worth mentioning that such people mostly live in tents, cardboard structures, in the open air, under bridges, in abandoned cars and vans. Moreover, families with children and even pets dwell in vans. Mavericks also sleep at bus stops in the central city, parks, squares and construction sites. We should remind you that it is better to avoid the districts frequented by the homeless because they are not that safe.
In fact, annually, the Los Angeles government allocates a huge sum for medical, social and psychological services for the homeless. However, their number has been steadily increasing over the years, while the problem remains unresolved. That is why the city is “wiped out” sometimes to create a nice picture on TV screens.
We hope our article was interesting to you and you made relevant conclusions.