Gracie Crilley, 67, avoided the latest encampment sweep In North Hills, San Fernando Valley, which put many of her friends behind bars yet again; here she speaks openly about her real concerns regarding the regular confiscation of personal property, including the medications she takes for her COPD, and her hopefulness that LA Family Housing might finally rescue her from life on the streets…

This version includes flashback video of Gracie speaking to a Neighborhood Council meeting, and days later being handcuffed and taken to jail for staying in an illegal encampment.

another day, another struggle

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Maria maintains her appearance the best she can in the harsh street conditions.

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Terry and Amy in the midst of a protracted argument with a young couple who claim that the dog she has been keeping was actually stolen from them….

Lynda Zazanis shares her frustration at having had her art supplies and finished artworks confiscated several times during homeless encampment cleanups conducted by Los Angeles city and county agencies.

Craig dishes on a number of topics: the “night crawlers” who stole another of his bicycles; police harassment; the shameful homeless situation in America, and drug and alcohol abuse…

Expressing himself openly regarding his predicament, Mark does not hold back his contempt for the powers-that-be, whom he believes have very little regard for his humanity, or respect for his property. We’ll leave it at that for now, and also thank Mark for sharing his musical talents…

It’s a Hard Knock Life

I used to bump into Lydia and her partners on Broadway Street during the years 2007-2009. Big Gulp cups of liquor took the edge off life on Skid Row, and they’d move up to Broadway Street when they preferred to pass the day somewhere less violent.

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Consoling one another while talking about a fire that had destroyed most of their possessions.

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Evelyn demonstrates a stabbing they witnessed on Skid Row earlier that day.

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Lydia and another friend.

Craig recalls the December 29th crackdown which left him and the other members of their encampment cuffed and jailed, in what appeared to be an arbitrary enforcement of laws pertaining to trespassing on public property. Today, Craig is back where he started, square one, after last week’s Caltrans clean-up took away virtually everything he owned.

Craig White recounts his most recent misfortune; having his possessions taken away by Caltrans workers charged with maintaining the on- and off-ramps of California’s freeways. His story is unfortunately all-too-typical of the dysfunction that only wreaks more havoc in the lives of many homeless people.

Community meeting “Homeless Not Hopeless,” organized by Laura Rathbone of EqualityMovement143. Northridge, CA, July 28, 2017. Attended by representatives of non-profits, political officials, local business interests and private citizens including the homeless.

Skid Row in the 1990s

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So the city couldn’t see this coming?

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So the city couldn’t see this coming?

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So the city couldn’t see this coming?

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So the city couldn’t see this coming?

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So the city couldn’t see this coming?