In the sprawling urban expanse of Los Angeles, what began as scattered homeless encampments has evolved into something far more structured and concerning: makeshift “cities” complete with rudimentary infrastructure, social hierarchies, and even illicit utilities. Recent reports highlight how these settlements, often on vacant lots or along riverbeds, are expanding rapidly, drawing frustration from nearby residents and straining city resources. For instance, in Koreatown, a massive encampment on a vacant lot has ballooned into what locals describe as a “tiny city,” with temporary structures, trash piles, and even stolen electricity from surrounding buildings, as detailed in a KTLA report.
This transformation isn’t isolated. Along the Arroyo Seco, another encampment has tapped into city power lines, causing outages and safety hazards, igniting debates over California’s broader homelessness crisis. With over 75,000 unhoused individuals in Los Angeles County as of recent counts, these growing sites underscore a failure in policy and enforcement, where temporary fixes like encampment clearances often lead to relocations rather than resolutions.
The Roots of Expansion…