Comments on: Items http://www.PieAndCoffee.org/2008/04/03/items-95/ "When things speed up hierarchy disappears and global theater sets in." --Marshall McLuhan Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:46:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Adam Villanihttp://www.PieAndCoffee.org/2008/04/03/items-95/comment-page-1/#comment-194844 Adam Villani Tue, 08 Apr 2008 19:05:32 +0000 http://www.PieAndCoffee.org/2008/04/03/items-95/#comment-194844 The case in L.A's Skid Row is kind of complex. I know both some pros and cons to it, but haven't researched it enough to really make an informed decision on what I think of it. What's up is that the LAPD formed a special Skid Row Task Force a few years ago to "clean it up," as it were. Not only was/is Skid Row a huge concentration of homeless, but it was/is also fairly dangerous and had a lot of lawlessness. Lots of open drug sales and use, prostitution right on the streets or in public toilets, assaults, thefts, etc. As long as the Task Force is to clean up the lawlessness and dangerousness, I think that's all well and good, and I've heard that in that respect the quality of life for the inhabitants has gotten better. But part of it also involves disallowing sleeping on the sidewalk and encampments and such, policies that basically involve pushing the homeless farther away without doing anything to help them. A lot of the motivation there is that areas immediately adjacent to Skid Row have been gentrifying rapidly, with a bunch of older bank buildings and such rapidly being converted to lofts and attracting young professionals and the like. "Cleaning up" Skid Row helps the gentrification, and the gentrification has been transforming downtown remarkably over the past few years, making it noticeably more lively outside of working hours. Up until a few years ago downtown L.A. (both Skid Row and non-Skid Row) was like a wasteland in the evenings and weekends, but there is now a lot more activity during off-hours. I really don't know where the balance is in the SRTF's actions between making life better on Skid Row vs. just pushing the homeless around and harassing them. I don't know if the efforts to clean up the drugs have just driven them underground or have made things safer or done anything to free people from addiction. I don't know if anything has been done to promote mental health services, either. The case in L.A’s Skid Row is kind of complex. I know both some pros and cons to it, but haven’t researched it enough to really make an informed decision on what I think of it. What’s up is that the LAPD formed a special Skid Row Task Force a few years ago to “clean it up,” as it were. Not only was/is Skid Row a huge concentration of homeless, but it was/is also fairly dangerous and had a lot of lawlessness. Lots of open drug sales and use, prostitution right on the streets or in public toilets, assaults, thefts, etc. As long as the Task Force is to clean up the lawlessness and dangerousness, I think that’s all well and good, and I’ve heard that in that respect the quality of life for the inhabitants has gotten better. But part of it also involves disallowing sleeping on the sidewalk and encampments and such, policies that basically involve pushing the homeless farther away without doing anything to help them.

A lot of the motivation there is that areas immediately adjacent to Skid Row have been gentrifying rapidly, with a bunch of older bank buildings and such rapidly being converted to lofts and attracting young professionals and the like. “Cleaning up” Skid Row helps the gentrification, and the gentrification has been transforming downtown remarkably over the past few years, making it noticeably more lively outside of working hours. Up until a few years ago downtown L.A. (both Skid Row and non-Skid Row) was like a wasteland in the evenings and weekends, but there is now a lot more activity during off-hours.

I really don’t know where the balance is in the SRTF’s actions between making life better on Skid Row vs. just pushing the homeless around and harassing them. I don’t know if the efforts to clean up the drugs have just driven them underground or have made things safer or done anything to free people from addiction. I don’t know if anything has been done to promote mental health services, either.

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