Skid Row
Though it spans only four square miles, Skid Row had an estimated 3,800 people experiencing homelessness in 2024, about 70 percent of whom were unsheltered. With the densest concentration of people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County, it registers the highest rates of substance use and mental health crises, HIV/AIDS, and overdose mortalities.
Skid Row Action Plan
The Skid Row Action Plan (SRAP) is a roadmap to dramatically expand housing and other homeless services downtown while supporting the development of a culturally vibrant and thriving community in Skid Row. It has already connected thousands of people with the housing and care they need and is still ongoing.
SRAP components include interim housing, permanent housing, a Safe Services Space that centralizes access to a wide range of programs for vulnerable populations; a 24/7 Health and Behavioral Healthcare Center for people in crisis and those seeking preventative and ongoing medical care; and a Harm Reduction Health Hub.
Every Woman Housed Program
Women experiencing unsheltered homelessness can face tremendous barriers to coming indoors. Many have lost their social networks or live with mental health or substance use challenges, and more than half of all women experiencing homelessness have experienced domestic or interpersonal violence in their lifetime.
Launched in 2021 and run in partnership with County departments, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, and Downtown Women’s Center, the Every Woman Housed program is designed to meet the unique needs of women experiencing homelessness in Skid Row.
New Housing
The County has supported recent interim and permanent supportive housing construction in Skid Row, including the Weingart Tower, Lamp Lodge, 6th Street Place, The Oasis, and The Lotus.
Mental Health Services
The LA County Department of Mental Health provides a full spectrum of mental health services, substance use treatment, and housing services in Skid Row. This includes field-based outreach to, engagement with, and treatment for people who live with a mental illness.
Substance Use Disorder Services
The LA County Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Substance Abuse Prevention and Control provides a continuum of substance use disorder prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery services in Skid Row.