Can LA house Skid Row residents by October?

A homeless encampment sits along Los Angeles’ Skid Row. Judge David Carter has ordered LA to offer shelters to people living on Skid Row by October 18, 2021. Photo by Amy Ta/KCRW

U.S. District Court Judge David Carter has ordered the city and county of Los Angeles to offer shelters for people on Skid Row by October 18. The deadline is sooner — within 90 days — for women and children.

Carter’s ruling comes at the heels of his visits to multiple encampments around the city, according to LA Times reporter Benjamin Oreskes. He says both the city and county are unsure how to make this court order a reality. 

Skid Row community activist Jeff Page says that after years of waiting for long-term supportive housing, people living on the streets are skeptical about the new order. He adds that if temporary housing is offered, residents aren’t going to take it. That’s partly due to the years it’s taken to build supportive housing for Angelenos.