• Skid Row in Los Angeles, California, is dotted with plenty of street art, some of it ironic. Photo: Karen Borter
    Skid Row in Los Angeles, California, is dotted with plenty of street art, some of it ironic. Photo: Karen Borter
  • A Skid Row resident has seen better days. Photo: Jessica Jewell Lanier
    A Skid Row resident has seen better days. Photo: Jessica Jewell Lanier
  • A homeless veteran bundles up for a winter in Los Angeles. An encampment outside the VA Hospital in Brentwood was recently bulldozed. Photo: Gilbert Mercier
    A homeless veteran bundles up for a winter in Los Angeles. An encampment outside the VA Hospital in Brentwood was recently bulldozed. Photo: Gilbert Mercier
  • Fire consumed a vacant commercial building a block from the Venice Beach Boardwalk and adjacent to a homeless encampment that was later cleared. Photo: Los Angeles Fire Department
    Fire consumed a vacant commercial building a block from the Venice Beach Boardwalk and adjacent to a homeless encampment that was later cleared. Photo: Los Angeles Fire Department
  • A homeless man in Sherman Oaks, a Los Angeles suburb, takes a rest on the sidewalk. Photo: Gilbert Mercier
    A homeless man in Sherman Oaks, a Los Angeles suburb, takes a rest on the sidewalk. Photo: Gilbert Mercier
  • Los Angeles artist and university professor Christopher Chinn began painting portraits of the city's homeless. This encampment in LA's Echo Park was swept of its 300 residents earlier this year. Holly Aguirre / The National
    Los Angeles artist and university professor Christopher Chinn began painting portraits of the city's homeless. This encampment in LA's Echo Park was swept of its 300 residents earlier this year. Holly Aguirre / The National
  • Christopher Chinn said that documenting the homeless through art is an important part of the city's cultural memory. Holly Aguirre / The National
    Christopher Chinn said that documenting the homeless through art is an important part of the city's cultural memory. Holly Aguirre / The National
  • A homeless man takes a rest at a bus stop outside the Frank Gehry-designed Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles. Holly Aguirre / The National
    A homeless man takes a rest at a bus stop outside the Frank Gehry-designed Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles. Holly Aguirre / The National
  • The face of homelessness in Los Angeles has changed drastically over the years. This woman was calling Skid Row home when this photo was snapped. Photo: V.T. Polywoda
    The face of homelessness in Los Angeles has changed drastically over the years. This woman was calling Skid Row home when this photo was snapped. Photo: V.T. Polywoda
  • A homeless woman salvages in Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles. Photo: Russ Allison Loar
    A homeless woman salvages in Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles. Photo: Russ Allison Loar
  • Homeless residents of Los Angeles can be found in almost every neighbourhood. Photo: Creative Commons
    Homeless residents of Los Angeles can be found in almost every neighbourhood. Photo: Creative Commons
  • When you're homeless in Venice Beach and on a movie set, they shoot around you. Photo: Gregory Sotir
    When you're homeless in Venice Beach and on a movie set, they shoot around you. Photo: Gregory Sotir
  • This couple calls Skid Row in Los Angeles their home. Photo: Russ Allison Loar
    This couple calls Skid Row in Los Angeles their home. Photo: Russ Allison Loar
  • This gentleman emigrated to the US from Mexico but could not find reasonably priced housing. Photo: Russ Allison Loar
    This gentleman emigrated to the US from Mexico but could not find reasonably priced housing. Photo: Russ Allison Loar
  • Skid Row in Los Angeles encompasses a 50-block radius and is home to some 6,000 residents sleeping in the rough. Photo: Russ Allison Loar
    Skid Row in Los Angeles encompasses a 50-block radius and is home to some 6,000 residents sleeping in the rough. Photo: Russ Allison Loar
  • It is not uncommon for the homeless in Los Angeles to populate their encampments with possessions from their previously housed lives. Photo: Russ Allison Loar
    It is not uncommon for the homeless in Los Angeles to populate their encampments with possessions from their previously housed lives. Photo: Russ Allison Loar
  • A group of residents sleep in the rough on the banks of Arcadia's El Monte Water Conservation Park in East Los Angeles County. Photo: Creative Commons
    A group of residents sleep in the rough on the banks of Arcadia's El Monte Water Conservation Park in East Los Angeles County. Photo: Creative Commons
  • Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti attended the opening of the YWCA Greater Los Angeles and Target Acts of Kindness Project, which provides temporary housing to the city's houseless. Photo: Los Angeles Mayor's Office
    Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti attended the opening of the YWCA Greater Los Angeles and Target Acts of Kindness Project, which provides temporary housing to the city's houseless. Photo: Los Angeles Mayor's Office

Homeless in Hollywood: LA's rough sleepers on the rise amid pandemic


Holly Aguirre
  • English
  • Arabic

Los Angeles is home to movie stars and Hollywood glitz and glamour — as well as America's second-highest population of homeless people, with numbers growing rapidly amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Second only to New York City, the 2020 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count showed that 66,436 people in the county were experiencing homelessness. This represents a 12.7 per cent rise from 2019, with the city of Los Angeles reporting a 16.1 per cent jump to 41,290.

The number of older people and families in that count has risen at alarming rates.

“Today, the face of homelessness is your next-door neighbour. You've got all races, all ages, all genders, everybody is becoming homeless,” Faisal Gill, a civil rights lawyer working in Los Angeles, told The National.

“And I think, unfortunately, it's going to get a little bit worse because the cost of housing in Los Angeles is going through the roof. The rent moratorium is about to be over. There's a lot of folks who have lost their jobs, who've had their hours cut back and they're just not going to be able to afford to live in LA.”

Currently, the average monthly rental price for a studio apartment in Los Angeles is $2,173, $2,546 for one bedroom and $3,288 for two bedrooms, rental website Apartments.com shows.

Born in Pakistan, Mr Gill served as a lawyer for the second Bush administration. Now, he’s running as a Democrat for the position of city attorney.

A homeless US Veteran sleeps in the rough on the streets of Los Angeles. Photo: Gilbert Mercier
A homeless US Veteran sleeps in the rough on the streets of Los Angeles. Photo: Gilbert Mercier

“My approach, the number one thing, is to make sure that we don't criminalise the homeless issue. And I think that has been the city council's approach for a long time is to criminalise it and to remove the encampments,” said Mr Gill.

The Los Angeles City Council this year voted 12-2 in favour of banning people from camping, sitting, sleeping and storing property near fire hydrants, building entrances, driveways, libraries, parks, elementary schools and several other locations.

Last week, a bulldozer was used to remove homeless veterans camped outside the hospital for former military members in Brentwood, an upscale neighbourhood adjacent to Beverly Hills and Santa Monica. Before that, the city tore down a camp in Venice Beach.

In March, more than 300 people in Echo Park were kicked out of their tents. Protesters and homeless people confronted police in a stand-off that resulted in the handing out of hotel vouchers as part of a programme called Project Roomkey.

Recipients of the vouchers are given a hotel room for 90 to 120 days, though they are not allowed to bring their belongings or pets, must obey a curfew and are subject to drug testing.

“There's only one solution to this problem. It's not rocket science. You have to build housing and you have to provide wraparound services,” Mr Gill said.

A shady past

California’s inability to provide low-income housing for its most needy citizens is not a new phenomenon. The tarnish on the Golden State's reputation began in 1967, when the governor at the time, Ronald Reagan, deinstitutionalised state mental health hospitals.

Patients, many of them living with mental illness, addicted to hard drugs or alcohol, were put out on the streets and were expected to rely on community treatment centres — which Reagan never built.

Not only did the number of mentally ill patients in California’s criminal justice system double, but the homeless population exploded.

Los Angeles has long had an issue with homelessness, however. As early as the 1900s, an area of central Los Angeles near the railyards was populated by rough-sleeping rail riders and war vets.

The area, Skid Row, now encompasses a 50-block radius and is home to anywhere from 4,000 to 6,000 people.

Though the situation of the needy residents of this area should engender compassion, it often provokes the opposite.

In recent years, several area hospitals have been sued for dumping homeless patients on the streets of Skid Row — some still in hospital gowns, IVs attached.

One cause described how a paraplegic patient was dumped on a pavement with no wheelchair.

Los Angeles city law states that the only place a health facility can leave a patient without written consent is their residence — but the lines are blurred if the patient is homeless.

'It's just got worse and worse'

Not all Angelenos are turning a blind eye to the problem.

Painter Christopher Chinn moved to Los Angeles for school and is now an art teacher at Long Beach City College.

When Mr Chinn came to the Skid Row-adjacent Toy Factory district, he was confronted with homelessness on a daily basis.

“I saw it every day, right outside our door,” Mr Chinn told The National.

“I knew I had to deal with it emotionally.”

For Mr Chinn, that meant volunteering and painting both the encampments as well as homeless people's portraits.

“It really is the issue that defines Los Angeles and it hasn't got any better. It's just got worse and worse,” he said.

“The stories were told by journalists. They’ve been told in photography. For me, it's got to show up in fine art and painting. It can't be missing from that line of our cultural memory.”

  • A homeless person sleeping in Grand Central Terminal, in Midtown Manhattan, New York. A gunman killed one homeless man and wounded a second in Lower Manhattan, early on Saturday, March 12. Getty Images / AFP
    A homeless person sleeping in Grand Central Terminal, in Midtown Manhattan, New York. A gunman killed one homeless man and wounded a second in Lower Manhattan, early on Saturday, March 12. Getty Images / AFP
  • A homeless person sits with their belongings on a New York pavement. Saturdays attacks took place between 4.30am and 6am, while the victims were asleep. Reuters
    A homeless person sits with their belongings on a New York pavement. Saturdays attacks took place between 4.30am and 6am, while the victims were asleep. Reuters
  • A homeless man with a sign asking for help, near Macy’s department store entrance in Midtown Manhattan. New York mayor Eric Adams described Saturday's shootings as 'senseless'. Reuters
    A homeless man with a sign asking for help, near Macy’s department store entrance in Midtown Manhattan. New York mayor Eric Adams described Saturday's shootings as 'senseless'. Reuters
  • A homeless person sleeps next to a shopping trolley of belongings in a New York subway station. AP
    A homeless person sleeps next to a shopping trolley of belongings in a New York subway station. AP
  • A man sleeping on a new York subway train. AP
    A man sleeping on a new York subway train. AP
  • In February, New York mayor Eric Adams announced a plan to try to stop homeless people from sleeping on trains or living in stations. AP
    In February, New York mayor Eric Adams announced a plan to try to stop homeless people from sleeping on trains or living in stations. AP
  • His proposal drew sharp criticism from some non-governmental organisations. AP
    His proposal drew sharp criticism from some non-governmental organisations. AP
  • "People only stay in the subway because they have no better place to go," said the Coalition for the Homeless. Getty Images / AFP
    "People only stay in the subway because they have no better place to go," said the Coalition for the Homeless. Getty Images / AFP
  • Mayor Eric Adams has also added police and homeless outreach teams to the city's subways. Getty Images / AFP
    Mayor Eric Adams has also added police and homeless outreach teams to the city's subways. Getty Images / AFP
  • Many homeless people sleep in the city's vast subway system and trains on cold nights. Getty Images / AFP
    Many homeless people sleep in the city's vast subway system and trains on cold nights. Getty Images / AFP
  • A homeless man in Queens, New York, during a rent debt protest. Following Saturday's attacks police urged New York's thousands of homeless people to contact city agencies for help with accommodation. AFP
    A homeless man in Queens, New York, during a rent debt protest. Following Saturday's attacks police urged New York's thousands of homeless people to contact city agencies for help with accommodation. AFP
Results

5pm: Al Falah – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Bshara, Richard Mullen (jockey), Salem Al Ketbi (trainer)

5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: AF Musannef, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel

6pm: Al Dhafra – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: AF Mualami, Antonio Fresu, Abubakar Daud

6.30pm: Al Khaleej Al Arabi – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Hawafez, Adrie de Vries, Abubakar Daud

7pm: Al Mafraq – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: JAP Almahfuz, Royston Ffrench, Irfan Ellahi

7.30pm: Al Samha – Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Celestial Spheres, Patrick Cosgrave, Ismail Mohammed

Islamophobia definition

A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.

Red flags
  • Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
  • Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
  • Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
  • Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
  • Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.

Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching

TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20WATCH%20SERIES%208
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2041mm%2C%20352%20x%20430%3B%2045mm%2C%20396%20x%20484%3B%20Retina%20LTPO%20OLED%2C%20up%20to%201000%20nits%2C%20always-on%3B%20Ion-X%20glass%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProcessor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Apple%20S8%2C%20W3%20wireless%2C%20U1%20ultra-wideband%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECapacity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2032GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMemory%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPlatform%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20watchOS%209%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EHealth%20metrics%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203rd-gen%20heart%20rate%20sensor%2C%20temperature%20sensing%2C%20ECG%2C%20blood%20oxygen%2C%20workouts%2C%20fall%2Fcrash%20detection%3B%20emergency%20SOS%2C%20international%20emergency%20calling%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConnectivity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20GPS%2FGPS%20%2B%20cellular%3B%20Wi-Fi%2C%20LTE%2C%20Bluetooth%205.3%2C%20NFC%20(Apple%20Pay)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDurability%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20IP6X%2C%20water%20resistant%20up%20to%2050m%2C%20dust%20resistant%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20308mAh%20Li-ion%2C%20up%20to%2018h%2C%20wireless%20charging%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECards%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20eSIM%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFinishes%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Aluminium%20%E2%80%93%20midnight%2C%20Product%20Red%2C%20silver%2C%20starlight%3B%20stainless%20steel%20%E2%80%93%20gold%2C%20graphite%2C%20silver%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Watch%20Series%208%2C%20magnetic-to-USB-C%20charging%20cable%2C%20band%2Floop%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Starts%20at%20Dh1%2C599%20(41mm)%20%2F%20Dh1%2C999%20(45mm)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Results

5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: Rawat Al Reef, Adrie de Vries (jockey), Abdallah Al Hammadi (trainer)

5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Noof KB, Richard Mullen, Ernst Oertel

6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: AF Seven Skies, Bernardo Pinheiro, Qaiss Aboud

6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Jabalini, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami

7pm: UAE Arabian Derby – Prestige (PA) Dh150,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Dergham Athbah, Richard Mullen, Mohamed Daggash

7.30pm: Emirates Championship – Group 1 (PA) Dh1,000,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Somoud, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roualle

8pm: Abu Dhabi Championship – Group 3 (TB) Dh380,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Irish Freedom, Antonio Fresu, Satish Seemar

In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
  • Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000 
  • Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000 
  • Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000 
  • Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000 
  • HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000 
  • Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000 
  • Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000 
  • Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000 
  • Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000 
  • Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000 
  • Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000 
  • Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
  • Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
  • Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
THE%20SPECS
%3Cp%3EEngine%3A%204.4-litre%20twin-turbo%20V8%20hybrid%0D%3Cbr%3EPower%3A%20653hp%20at%205%2C400rpm%0D%3Cbr%3ETorque%3A%20800Nm%20at%201%2C600-5%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3ETransmission%3A%208-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E0-100kph%20in%204.3sec%0D%3Cbr%3ETop%20speed%20250kph%0D%3Cbr%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20NA%0D%3Cbr%3EOn%20sale%3A%20Q2%202023%0D%3Cbr%3EPrice%3A%20From%20Dh750%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How%20champions%20are%20made
%3Cp%3E%0D%3Cstrong%3EDiet%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E7am%20-%20Protein%20shake%20with%20oats%20and%20fruits%0D%3Cbr%3E10am%20-%205-6%20egg%20whites%0D%3Cbr%3E1pm%20-%20White%20rice%20or%20chapati%20(Indian%20bread)%20with%20chicken%0D%3Cbr%3E4pm%20-%20Dry%20fruits%20%0D%3Cbr%3E7.30pm%20-%20Pre%20workout%20meal%20%E2%80%93%20grilled%20fish%20or%20chicken%20with%20veggies%20and%20fruits%0D%3Cbr%3E8.30pm%20to%20midnight%20workout%0D%3Cbr%3E12.30am%20%E2%80%93%20Protein%20shake%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20intake%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204000-4500%20calories%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESaidu%E2%80%99s%20weight%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20110%20kg%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStats%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Biceps%2019%20inches.%20Forearms%2018%20inches%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
match info

Athletic Bilbao 1 (Muniain 37')

Atletico Madrid 1 (Costa 39')

Man of the match  Iker Muniain (Athletic Bilbao)

Election pledges on migration

CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections" 

SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom" 

GOLF’S RAHMBO

- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)

Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021

Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.

The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.

These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.

“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.

“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.

“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.

“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”

Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.

There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.

“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.

“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.

“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”

The specs

  Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now

SERIE A FIXTURES

Friday Sassuolo v Torino (Kick-off 10.45pm UAE)

Saturday Atalanta v Sampdoria (5pm),

Genoa v Inter Milan (8pm),

Lazio v Bologna (10.45pm)

Sunday Cagliari v Crotone (3.30pm) 

Benevento v Napoli (6pm) 

Parma v Spezia (6pm)

 Fiorentina v Udinese (9pm)

Juventus v Hellas Verona (11.45pm)

Monday AC Milan v AS Roma (11.45pm)

UAE finals day

Friday, April 13
Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City

3pm, UAE Conference: Dubai Tigers v Sharjah Wanderers
6.30pm, UAE Premiership: Dubai Exiles v Abu Dhabi Harlequins

EPL's youngest
  • Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
    15 years, 181 days old
  • Max Dowman (Arsenal)
    15 years, 235 days old
  • Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
    15 years, 271 days old
  • Harvey Elliott (Fulham)
    16 years, 30 days old
  • Matthew Briggs (Fulham)
    16 years, 68 days old

'The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas are Setting up a Generation for Failure' ​​​​
Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt, Penguin Randomhouse

Updated: September 20, 2022, 6:44 PM