>> Sreenivasan: IN JULY WE

BROUGHT YOU A STORY ABOUT

POVERTY IN ALABAMA, WHICH WAS

SPURRED BY A REPORT FROM THE

UNITED NATIONS' SPECIAL

RAPPORTEUR ON EXTREME POVERTY

AND HUMAN RIGHTS, PHILIP ALSTON.

ALSTON TOURED AMERICA,

SPOTLIGHTING THIRD-WORLD-STYLE

POVERTY IN OUR FIRST-WORLD

COUNTRY.

NEWSHOUR WEEKEND SPECIAL

CORRESPONDENT SIMON OSTROVSKY

CONTINUES FOLLOWING IN ALSTON'S

FOOTSTEPS WITH A REPORT ON

POVERTY IN LOS ANGELES.

SUPPORTED IN PART BY A GRANT

FROM THE PULITZER CENTER ON

CRISIS REPORTING, THIS REPORT IS

PART OF OUR ONGOING SERIES ABOUT

POVERTY AND OPPORTUNITY IN

AMERICA-- "CHASING THE DREAM."

>> Reporter: LOS ANGELES.

THE HOME OF SOME OF THE MOST

DESIRABLE ZIP CODES IN THE

COUNTRY.

BUT RIGHT AT THE HEART OF THIS

WEALTHY METROPOLIS EXIST

CONDITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN

DESCRIBED BY THE CITY'S OWN

NEWSPAPER, THE LOS ANGELES TIMES

AS A "NATIONAL DISGRACE."

ONE EXPANSE OF 50 CITY BLOCKS IS

AN AREA THAT HAS BECOME

SYNONYMOUS WITH POVERTY, CRIME,

AND HOMELESSNESS.

IT'S EXISTED FOR DECADES AND HAS

DOGGED SUCCESSIVE MAYORAL

ADMINISTRATIONS THAT'VE TRIED TO

ERADICATE IT.

IT'S CALLED "SKID ROW" AND IS

HOME TO AN ESTIMATED 2,000

MEMBERS OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY'S

HOMELESS COMMUNITY.

>> L.A. HAS ONE OF THE HIGHEST

RENTS IN THE NATION.

AND THE REASON WHY COME TO SO

MANY TENTS OUT HERE BECAUSE

PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE IN A

HOUSE.

>> Reporter: STEVE RICHARDSON,

WHO GOES BY THE NAME "GENERAL

DOGON," IS AN ACTIVIST AT THE

L.A. COMMUNITY ACTION NETWORK,

WHICH ADVOCATES FOR THE CITY'S

HOMELESS COMMUNITY.

>> THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE

THAT YOU SEE SLEEPING ON THE

STREETS ARE BLACK AND THESE ARE

FOLKS THAT HAVE FELL TO THE

POVERTY LEVEL.

IT MAKES ME REALLY MAD.

>> Reporter: LONG THE SUBJECT OF

LOCAL AND NATIONAL CONCERN, SKID

ROW RECENTLY GARNERED

INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION WHEN IT

BECAME THE FOCUS OF A REPORT

WRITTEN BY THE UNITED NATIONS

RAPPORTEUR ON EXTREME POVERTY.

PHILIP ALSTON WHOSE JOB MORE

OFTEN INVOLVES ASSESSING

CONDITIONS IN THE DEVELOPING

WORLD.

>> THE HOMELESSNESS ON THE

STREETS IN L.A. IS PRETTY

STAGGERING IN TERMS OF

MAGNITUDE, IN TERMS OF HOW LONG

RUNNING IT IS.

THERE IS A CHRONIC SHORTAGE OF

AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

>> Reporter: NATIONALLY,

HOMELESSNESS HAS BEEN MOSTLY ON

THE DECLINE SINCE 2010, THOUGH

IT TICKED UPWARD SLIGHTLY IN

2017, TO NEARLY 554,000 PEOPLE

WITHOUT THEIR OWN ROOF OVER

THEIR HEADS IN A SO-CALLED

POINT-IN-TIME COUNT.

THE LOS ANGELES AREA MEANWHILE,

HAS TRENDED IN THE OPPOSITE

DIRECTION AS THE COST OF LIVING

HERE SOARED OVER THE LAST DECADE

FORCING THOUSANDS ONTO THE

STREET IN WHAT HAS AMOUNTED TO A

NEARLY 50% INCREASE IN

HOMELESSNESS SINCE 2012 TO

ALMOST 53,000 PEOPLE.

THE SHEER SIZE OF SKID ROW MAKES

IT LOOK LIKE A REFUGEE CAMP.

BUT ACCORDING TO A 2017 REPORT

BY SEVERAL HOMELESSNESS ADVOCACY

GROUPS, THE AVAILABILITY OF

TOILETS HERE IS WORSE THAN IN A

U.N.-RUN SYRIAN REFUGEE CAMP.

>> IT SMELLS OF URINE

EVERYWHERE.

SKID ROW HAD ABOUT 10 TOILETS, I

THINK, FOR THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE.

SO IT'S A PRETTY BAD SETUP.

>> SO THIS IS UH, THEY CALL IT

THE BIG GREEN MACHINE.

AND, UH, IT'S A BATHROOM.

>> Reporter: ACCORDING TO THE LA

COMMUNITY ACTION NETWORK, NEARLY

1,800 UNSHELTERED PEOPLE IN SKID

ROW SHARE ACCESS TO JUST NINE

TOILETS LIKE THIS ONE WHICH

MEANS MANY AVOID THEM ALTOGETHER

AND USE BUCKETS WHICH ARE THEN

EMPTIED INTO THE STREETS AND

TRASH CANS.

>> THAT WAS P.T.S.D., BUT I

DIDN'T KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THAT.

>> Reporter: WILLY VAN SEALS IS

A VIETNAM VET SUFFERING FROM

HEROIN ADDICTION, ONE OF ALMOST

3900 HOMELESS VETERANS IN L.A.

COUNTY.

>> I'LL SHOW YOU.

THE BUCKETS THAT WE USE, ARE TO

URINATE, BOWEL MOVEMENT.

THERE'S NOWHERE AROUND HERE TO

USE THE BATHROOM, AND THAT'S

HARD ON A PERSON YOU KNOW WHAT I

MEAN?

SUPPOSE YOU WALK AROUND FIND

SOMEWHERE TO TAKE A CRAP?

COME ON NOW.

>> Reporter: THE AUTHORITIES

KNOW HYGIENE IS AN ISSUE HERE.

THE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT

REPORTED THAT ITS TEAMS OBSERVED

FECES AND URINE ON EIGHT OF TEN

SIDEWALKS DURING A SURVEY BACK

IN 2012.

STREET WASHES LIKE THIS ONE HAVE

BEEN INSTITUTED TO HELP STOP THE

SPREAD OF DISEASE.

>> IF WE DON'T POWER WASH THE

STREETS WE END UP WITH WHAT WE

HAD YEARS AGO WHEN WE HAD A

TUBERCULOSIS OUTBREAK OR

HEPATITIS OUTBREAK OR SOME KIND

OF DISEASE, IT HAS TO BE DONE,

IT HAS TO BE DONE.

>> Reporter: OFFICER DEON JOSEPH

HAS BEEN PATROLLING THE STREETS

OF SKID ROW FOR CLOSE TO TWO

DECADES.

HE SAYS HE'S SEEN WELL-MEANING

POLICIES TO IMPROVE HEALTH

CONDITIONS BACKFIRE.

>> YEARS AGO WE HAD 27 PORTA

POTTIES IN SKID ROW.

MY CONCERN WAS THAT THEY WOULD

BE TAKEN OVER BY THE CRIMINAL

ELEMENT, AND DAY ONE THAT'S

EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED.

UH, WHEN THOSE BATHROOMS WERE

HERE, GANGSTERS WERE CHARGING

THE HOMELESS ONE TO FIVE DOLLARS

TO USE THE PORTA POTTIES FOR

WHAT THEY WERE DESIGNED FOR.

>> Reporter: WHILE WE'RE WITH

HIM OFFICER JOSEPH RECEIVES A

COMPLAINT.

>> I'VE GOT THESE PEOPLE WHO

HAVE PULLED UP IN FRONT OF THE

DOORWAY.

I'VE ASKED THEM REPEATEDLY TO

MOVE AND TRYING TO HAVE A

RATIONAL CONVERSATION WITH

IRRATIONAL PEOPLE.

I JUST DON'T WANT TO DO IT.

>> HOW ARE YOU?

I'M SORRY TO BOTHER YOU.

THERE'S A GENTLEMAN HERE WHO HAS

A BUSINESS, AND THE LAW SAYS YOU

CAN'T BE WITHIN 10 FEET OF HIS

DOORWAY, CAN YOU GUYS MOVE ABOUT

10 FEET THIS WAY SO HE CAN HAVE

HIS SPACE?

>> Reporter: HE RESOLVES THE

SITUATION WITHOUT INCIDENT.

BUT THE U.N. REPORT POINTS TO

DATA FROM THE "L.A. TIMES"

SHOWING THAT 14,000 HOMELESS

PEOPLE WERE ARRESTED IN L.A. IN

2016, A 31% INCREASE SINCE 2011.

THE REPORT ENCOURAGED

AUTHORITIES TO SHIFT FROM A

"CRIMINAL JUSTICE RESPONSE" TO

A "HUMAN RIGHTS-CENTERED

RESPONSE" TO HOMELESSNESS.

>> HOMELESSNESS IS BEING

CRIMINALIZED IN MANY WAYS.

AND IT'S AS THOUGH YOU SORT OF

KEEP MOVING THE PIECES AROUND

THE CHESSBOARD AND SUDDENLY IT'S

GOING TO IMPROVE, INSTEAD OF

SAYING "OK, WE ACTUALLY NEED TO

WORK OUT HOW TO CREATE PLACES

WHERE THESE PEOPLE CAN GO."

>> I AGREE WITH THE U.N., WE

SHOULDN'T BE THE TIP OF THE

SPEAR, FIX THE SYSTEM ESPECIALLY

IN PLACES LIKE SKID ROW WHERE

MANY INDIVIDUALS STRUGGLE WITH

DUAL DIAGNOSIS WHERE THEY'RE

ADDICTS AND MENTALLY ILL.

WE DON'T WANT TO BE THE TIP OF

THE SPEAR BUT WE HAVE TO BE

UNTIL THOSE SOLUTIONS ARISE.

>> Reporter: ACCORDING TO VICTOR

HINDERLITER OF THE LOS ANGELES

HOMELESS SERVICES AUTHORITY,

MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTION ARE

A HUGE FACTOR CONTRIBUTING TO

HOMELESSNESS.

>> APPROXIMATELY 30% OF PEOPLE

EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS SELF-

REPORT THAT THEY HAVE A SEVERE

MENTAL HEALTH DISORDER, ABOUT

30% OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING

HOMELESSNESS SELF-REPORT THAT

THEY HAVE A SUBSTANCE USE

DISORDER.

HOMELESSNESS, IN AND OF ITSELF

IS A TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE.

>> Reporter: CHRISTINA MILLER,

THE L.A. MAYOR'S SENIOR PROJECT

MANAGER OF HOMELESS STRATEGIES

AGREES THAT ADDRESSING

HOMELESSNESS IS A MULTI-TIERED

PROCESS BUT DISAGREES THAT THE

HOMELESS ARE BEING CRIMINALIZED.

>> INSTEAD OF LEADING WITH

POLICE, LEADING WITH

ENFORCEMENT, WE ARE DOING

EVERYTHING WE CAN TO LEAD WITH

SERVICES BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT

POLICE OFFICERS ARE NOT SOCIAL

WORKERS AND THAT IS NOT

NECESSARILY IN THEIR PURVIEW AND

HAVING AN ENFORCEMENT HEAVY

RESPONSE IS NOT ULTIMATELY GOING

TO GET PEOPLE OFF THE STREETS.

>> Reporter: ACTIVISTS SAY THEY

KNOW WHAT WILL GET PEOPLE OFF

THE STREETS.

>> THE SOLUTION IS SIMPLE.

THIS IS WHAT THE SOLUTION IS.

THIS IS ONLY THING THAT ENDS

HOMELESSNESS.

IT'S THIS RIGHT HERE, HOUSE

KEYS.

UNTIL EVERYBODY GOT THEM, HEY

YOU GOTTA BE GOOD NEIGHBORS

BECAUSE THEY GOING TO BE PEOPLE

SLEEPING ON THE STREETS.

>> THERE ARE A LOT OF SOLUTIONS

THAT WE ARE FOCUSING ON

CURRENTLY IN TERMS OF TRYING TO

EXPAND OUR INTERIM SHELTERS BY

CAPACITY.

BUT WE ALSO KNOW WHAT THE ONLY

SOLUTION IS TO HOMELESSNESS,

WHICH IS PERMANENT HOUSING.

>> Reporter: MILLER TOLD

NEWSHOUR WEEKEND THE CITY OF

L.A. HAD EMBARKED ON AN

UNPRECEDENTED DRIVE TO BUILD

10,000 UNITS OF HOUSING FOR THE

CHRONICALLY HOMELESS: THOSE

WHO'VE REPEATEDLY ENDED UP ON

THE STREETS OR BEEN THERE FOR AT

LEAST A YEAR.

IT'S FUNDED THROUGH A $1.2

BILLION CITY BOND OVER THE NEXT

10 YEARS.

THAT'S IN ADDITION TO A $30

MILLION "BRIDGE-HOME" PROGRAM

DIRECTED AT PROVIDING INTERIM

HOUSING IN THE MEANTIME.

AND THE EFFORTS MAY HAVE STARTED

TO PAY OFF.

THIS YEAR, THE HOMELESS COUNT IN

L.A. COUNTY WENT DOWN FOR THE

FIRST TIME SINCE 2014.

ONLY MODESTLY, FROM 55,000

PEOPLE TO JUST UNDER 53,000, BUT

IT BUCKS A SIX-YEAR-LONG TREND

IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.

>> WE ARE CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC,

WE ARE CELEBRATING THE FACT THAT

THERE SEEMS TO BE A CHANGE IN

THE DIRECTION OF THE TRAJECTORY

AND IT DOES TELL US THAT WE ARE

DOING SOMETHING RIGHT.

>> WELL THEY WERE CONSIDERATE

ENOUGH TO GIVE US A PANTRY.

>> Reporter: JOSE SOTO, ANOTHER

VETERAN, IS ONE OF THE LUCKY

ONES WHO HAS RECENTLY BEEN

HOUSED AFTER YEARS IN AND OUT OF

PRISON AND SKID ROW.

>> I'M REALLY HAPPY WITH THE

CLOSET SPACE.

BUT, WHAT DO YOU FILL IT WITH?

>> Reporter: SOTO, WHO IS IN

RECOVERY FROM DRUG AND ALCOHOL

ADDICTION GAVE US A TOUR OF THE

RESIDENCE THE CITY HAS PROVIDED

TO HIM FREE OF CHARGE.

>> I'VE BEEN ON AND OFF THE

STREETS FOR WHAT YEAR IS IT?

WOW, 14 YEARS AND IN MY

SITUATION, IT WAS ALL DUE TO

SUBSTANCE ABUSE.

I JUST LIKE TO GET DRUNK A LOT

EVERY DAY.

AND THEN, BEFORE YOU KNOW IT,

THE LIFESTYLE CATCHES UP AND I

END UP, I'M ONE OF THE PEOPLE ON

SKID ROW OR UNDER A BRIDGE.

>> Reporter: UNTIL NEWER HOUSING

COMES ONLINE HOMES LIKE THIS ARE

IN VERY LIMITED SUPPLY.

ONLY VETERANS WHO HAVE GONE

THROUGH A LENGTHY RECOVERY

PROCESS FROM SUBSTANCE ABUSE

QUALIFY FOR THIS BUILDING.

>> THEY TREAT US LIKE TRASH.

>> Reporter: FOR VET WILLY VAN

SEALS WHO IS STILL STRUGGLING

WITH ADDICTION, THAT SEEMS LIKE

A DISTANT PROSPECT.

>> I WENT THROUGH REHAB.

AND WHEN I WENT THROUGH, THEY

PROMISED ME WHEN I GOT THROUGH

THAT THEY WOULD ACTUALLY GIVE ME

MY VOUCHER AND I COULD GO AND

FIND ME A PLACE TO STAY AND NONE

OF THAT HAPPENED.

THIS IS WHERE I ENDED UP AT.

>> Reporter: SO DID YOU MANAGE

TO KICK THE HABIT IN REHAB?

>> NAH.

>> AMERICA PAINTS OURSELVES AS A

"GOOD SAMARITAN COUNTRY."

I'M GLAD THE U.N. CAME HERE,

BECAUSE YOU SEE THIRD WORLD

CONDITIONS RIGHT HERE, YOU KNOW,

IN THE RICHEST COUNTRY IN THE

WORLD THAT'S WORSE THAN OTHER

COUNTRIES.

>> Reporter: THE UNITED NATIONS

REPORT NOTWITHSTANDING, THERE

ARE OTHER INDICATIONS THINGS MAY

BE IMPROVING FOR THE HOMELESS IN

L.A.

IN 2016, ANGELINOS VOTED

OVERWHELMINGLY FOR A TAX

INCREASE DIRECTED AT FUNDING THE

CREATION OF HOMES FOR THE

CHRONICALLY HOMELESS.

AND WHILE TENTS STILL LINE THE

STREETS OF SKID ROW, THIS YEAR

CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS HAS DROPPED

18% IN L.A. COUNTY.

>> WHEN IT RAINS, YOU MUST HAVE

SOMETHING ON THIS FLOOR.

>> Reporter: BUT FOR WILLY VAN

SEALS AND OTHERS LIKE HIM, LOS

ANGELES STILL HAS A LONG WAY TO

GO.