Since 1975, there have been improvements in Skid Row in terms of services for people experiencing homelessness. The goal of the policy was to stabilize and centralize the area to make services more accessible, not to crowd the area with people experiencing homelessness or fence them in. In 1975, a Redevelopment Plan was adopted, which included a “Policy of Containment.” This policy concentrated social service agencies and people experiencing homelessness in one section of the city, where many of them naturally congregated. Various groups consistently initiated efforts to improve the community. Daily rate hotels and various entertainments (mostly bars and brothels) catered to the culture of rail riders who were transient by nature.Īs development began and industrial markets grew - particularly the flower and fashion districts adjacent to Skid Row - the need to improve the area arose. This particular area was an ideal congregating spot for hobos, aimless rail riders, transient workers, and people running away from past lives because it was the last stop on the train for the whole country.
This 54-block area in downtown Los Angeles became Skid Row in the late 1800s - which was when Union Rescue Mission first opened its doors. To add a spiritual dimension, Jesus tells his disciples (Matthew 26:11) that the poor will always be with them - every culture will have poor people because of the nature of this world. When people are experiencing tough times, they gravitate to an area where these services can be found - which can create a community of people in this area who are service-dependent. Many of these social services are located downtown. government system and American culture promotes opportunities for people to succeed or fail on their own - while providing a safety net for people who do not succeed. Many people who come to America view it as a place where they can start over with nothing - and frequently end up here with little to no resources.Īnother reason that Skid Row exists is that the U.S. Cities in every part of the world - both in developed and developing countries - are always centers for poverty.Īmerica, with its open door to immigrants - and Los Angeles in particular as an entry point for many immigrants - is especially vulnerable to the realities of poverty. There are many reasons why an area like Skid Row exists in America. There may be several definitions of the boundaries of Skid Row, but the one we see to be most accurate and widely accepted is 3 rd and 7 th Streets, to the North and South, and Alameda and Main, to the East and West, respectively.Ģ. What are the physical boundaries of Skid Row, Los Angeles? Why isn’t it easy to move services for people experiencing homelessness out of Skid Row?ġ.Why does Skid Row exist in Los Angeles?.
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