Community organisers have accused Los Angeles authorities of “bold-faced lies” and said the city’s response to its unhoused population during the recent catastrophic storms has been “abysmal”.
Despite promises that extra aid would be available, contact with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) has reportedly been difficult, exacerbated by the fact that many seeking shelter do not have phones or internet access.
The second of two powerful atmospheric rivers has battered the state of California since Sunday. As conditions worsened some community organisers have been forced to take matters into their own hands, and even sometimes their own homes.
It comes following an announcement last week by LA Mayor Karen Bass and the LAHSA, which promised “augmented winter shelter operations” to help the unhoused.
Four additional locations were allocated across the city; Mid Valley Senior Citizen Center, Lincoln Heights Senior Center, the South LA Sports Activity Center, and the Oakwood Recreation Center in Venice.