Live From Skid Row! Its………….

The personal approach to deeply entrenched societal problems—like homelessness—always works. That’s why non-profit agencies use the personal testimony to raise money. That’s why reporters use this angle to win literary awards, and new readers.

Steve Lopez, the LA Times columnist is taking this angle a step further. He is spending a week in Skid Row to write about the personal perspective. From a fire fighter to a drug addict, from a prostitute to a caring doctor… you can’t deny the devastating effects of homelessness on people’s lives. Especially in Skid Row.

Here's the series.

It makes sense to write about this now. After a couple of weeks of accusations about homeless “dumping” tossed around the County of Los Angeles, it just seems right to publish a series on the personal angle. Let the law enforcement agencies and city officials fight among themselves about the terrible problem of homelessness.

But let the average resident of Southern California read about how homelessness affects both the person on the street and the person helping. It’s touching, it’s cruel, it’s sad, it’s frustrating.

And yet, just reading about this personal angle, knowing that those who don’t normally take an interest in homelessness are also reading about it… means it is also hopeful.