The Brief
- A taxpayer-funded homeless services facility in Skid Row is drawing intense scrutiny as LAPD reports a dramatic surge in violent crime.
- Local business and residential leaders are criticizing the $26 million campus as a “meth mansion,” presenting video evidence of open-air drug dealing, violence, and public safety threats directly outside the facility.
- Despite continuous pleas from community groups, Los Angeles city and county officials have largely remained silent or deferred responsibility, even as county documents reveal the site was intentionally designed to limit law enforcement monitoring.
LOS ANGELES – A taxpayer-funded homeless services campus in the heart of Skid Row is at the center of a growing controversy, as dramatic video shows open drug use and drug deals just steps from its entrance. The Los Angeles Police Department reported a surge in violent crime, including four homicides in four months, and community leaders say they warned city and county officials years ago that this was coming.
What we know:
The Skid Row Care Campus, located at 442 S. Crocker Street in Los Angeles, costs approximately $26 million a year to operate, according to the LA County Department of Health Services. It is run by three nonprofits: Homeless Health Care Los Angeles, Social Model Recovery Systems, and Wesley Health Centers. The facility distributes needles, pipes, aluminum foil, and condoms as part of its harm reduction services.…