Demographics
After an analysis of the demographics of Skid Row, it can be seen that there is a large population of African Americans. Forty percent of Skid Row’s population are Black males, followed by white and Asian males. “Of the 83,347: 39% are Black/African American, 29% White, 25% Hispanic or Latino, and 7% multi-racial and other” (CRA LA, 2005). It’s found through studies that in the United States, Black people are more likely to have health concerns. There are many disparities for Black Americans in the realm of health as they are more susceptible to have heart disease, cancers, infant mortality, and be diabetic. The underrepresentation of Black Americans (and minorities as a whole) in healthcare causes them to be affected more and worse by these ailments and diseases. Considering this, there is a correlation between black homelessness and health. Someone living under homeless conditions does not have access to food, water, sanitization, and shelter as others do, and this can cause poor health because of a lack of access to these resources. The weather, access to resources, and crime can dictate the health of homeless people. In addition, someone could fall into homelessness because of preexisting health conditions that could perhaps cause unemployment and homelessness. If the Black American population is suffering at a greater cost than necessary, there must be something done to make healthcare more equal. Considering homelessness is a large-scale problem across the United States, being more inclusive in health care can promote Black people to be held to the same standard as those who receive sufficient representation.
Mental health
Another word on this issue is the case of hospitals not caring for homeless patients to the best of their ability. On the 99percentinvisible Website, there is an anecdote by General Dogon that states hospitals would drop off patients in Skid Row if they did not have an address on file. Justin Kloczko writes about his findings on hospitals’ practice of dumping patients in Skid Row in 2014. A woman living in Skid Row was in need of treatment for mental illness by medication, suicidal, and at risk of tuberculosis received little to no help at the hospital in Los Angeles she went to. Instead, she was turned away with no follow-up appointment, no healthcare attention, and she was dropped off in Skid Row. “Patient dumping” has been rumored for some twenty years, and this is the first official admission of a Los Angeles hospital that partook in this form of patient mistreatment. If the decision of who gets helped thoroughly and who does not receive any adequate care is in the hands of someone, there is an injustice. In 2013 the Department of Justice reported incidents that people in Skid Row were being paid to go to the hospital. Estill Mitts’ goal was to collect the money from the patients he would have illegally referred despite having no just medical problems. The man Mitts “was a ring-leader in a significant, long-term, serious crime that used the homeless as fodder for exploiting the Medicare and Medi-Cal programs,” and was found to be behind this scheme with other history of fraud. This exploitation of homeless people for the benefit of someone’s personal gain is an injustice and is extremely classist. A person of affluence who victimizes a homeless person for their financial benefit is a direct form of injustice. Equal care and consideration should be given to all regardless of race or socioeconomic status. Those with mental health issues deserve to be respected and understood, because although they have different adversities and capacities, they are entitled to self-determination. When this natural law of self-determination is hindered by a body of power, the person loses some of their inherent freedoms. Considering not all people with mental health problems are incapacitated to make decisions, those with the ability to make decisions should be granted such. In addition, mental health and drugs can perpetuate drug use and also leave people with less options for remediation. By exploiting people with addiction, homelessness, or any struggles in life causes their circumstances to worsen because there is no acknowledgement that they need help out. By exploiting people, their situations are perpetuated and their window for opportunity does not exist.
Policing
Further conversation with General Dogon reveals more about the true politics of Skid Row. He recalls that if someone in Skid Row were to cross over the “border,” police would have strong suspicions based off of physical features and would bring person back into the encampment. This is supported by the continued containment of Skid Row today. Racial profiling by the law is surely an issue here as well as profiling based on class. More or less, if someone appears to be homeless by law enforcement, they are subject to stay within the bounds of Skid Row under an unwritten, yet strongly enforced law. There is a two-fold relationship between the law and drug use among homeless people: a double standard of the law is allowing people to deal drugs in Skid Row while simultaneously arresting suspect people shows that the law applies when beneficial to the modesty of Los Angeles. Considering that it has been consistently reported that illicit drugs are prohibited as long as the transactions take place within the “walls” of Skid Row.
Criminalizing Homelessness
Homeless people with no permanent residence are forced to the streets. The criminalization of homelessness in Skid Row is increasing. The attempt to criminalize homelessness is flawed because it is chronic and often not productive in abolishing encampments and housing people. The City of Los Angeles criminalizes homelessness on many accounts. Through containment plans as discussed previously and policing, homelessness is a crime in Skid Row. Policing in Skid Row includes the common practice of profiling for people who belong back on Skid Row which is a miscarriage of the law.
City Planning
The Arts District is a portion of downtown Los Angeles that has been leaking over the boarder of Skid Row and using the land as their own. This idea that land can be taken by another party who believes they are more entitled to it because they could utilize it more efficiently is flawed in its foundation. Unwanted conditions are always borne by someone. The idea of “not in my backyard” and also wanting a prosperous and uncontaminated city causes others to suffer the conditions and, in turn, be categorized as undesirable. The growth and prosperity of Los Angeles outside of is colligative with the deterioration of the undesirability of Skid Row inside. More likely than not, the homeless people in Skid Row will be corralled and relocated depending on the agenda of Los Angeles’ urban planning. The previously discussed case where the hospital dumped people in Skid Row shows that there were assumptions made based off of the person’s appearance that then perpetuated their socioeconomic status. Actions like this support the idea of containment and that people with undesirable appearances and addictions must belong out of site where the others who are similar to themselves reside. Using these plan names takes away the humanity of residents of Skid Row and turns them into political pawns that can be relocated and tucked away out of sight.
Containment
The idea that a group of people are subject to being corralled and aren’t worthy enough to live with the rest of the population, shows demographic segregation in Los Angeles. Despite these efforts to demolish Skid Row through the Silver Book and contain it through the Blue Book, no true efforts of financing or reformation have been enforced yet. The containment plans Blue Book and Silver Book are still seen today as Skid Row is extremely segregated from the rest of Downtown Los Angeles.
Final Words on Environmental Justice
With the knowledge that Skid Row is predominantly inhabited by African Americans and the area continues to be disregarded, undermanaged, and a concern of environmental injustice. When people are forced to live in Skid Row because they seem to fit a homeless person’s profile and bounds are determined by the city, there is a major infraction of justice. Bearing in mind environmental justice prioritizes inclusivity and consideration in the realm of all environmental concerns, Skid Row is in direct violation of this.