Will New Development In Skid Row Help Or Hurt Locals? LA City Officials And Residents Disagree On The Answer

Trash lies beside the Skid Row City Limit mural as the city begins its annual homeless count in Los Angeles, California on January 26, 2018

A plan to rezone LA’s skid row looks to create 100,000 new housing units by 2040 - but who will that new housing will be accessible to?

A plan to rezone LA’s skid row looks to create 100,000 new housing units by 2040 - but who will that new housing be accessible to?

That’s the question at the heart of a divide between skid row residents and city officials. Locals fear that it will contribute to gentrification, while the city insists it will positively impact the existing community. The city’s proposal would limit upscale residential housing within the skid row, while allowing that type of development in the areas surrounding the neighborhood.

A number of groups are banding together to protest the rezoning plans, including the Los Angeles Community Action Network, Inner City Law Center and United Coalition East. Protestors are asking the city to nix the plan and put their focus on creating affordable housing for homeless and low-income individuals.

We reached out to Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar and the Los Angeles Department of City Planning. They were unable to accommodate our request for interviews.

Guests:

Steve Diaz, organizing director with the Los Angeles Community Action Network, a community organization that works on anti-poverty group issues

Andy Bales, CEO at Union Rescue Mission, a private Christian homeless shelter in downtown Los Angeles' Skid Row