The age-old question of what came first, the chicken or the egg, has taken a dramatic new twist in Los Angeles’ Skid Row as the non-profit, Homeless Healthcare Los Angeles (HHCLA), once again faces scrutiny over their harm reduction program.
For years, the non-profit entity has been distributing clean needles and drug use supplies, much to the dismay of the Skid Row community. Aiming to prevent the spread of diseases like HIV and Hepatitis C, they’ve been documented by independent sources riding around Downtown Los Angeles, in golf carts soliciting their program and handling out free drug paraphernalia to anyone who will accept it.
Decry from Skid Row activists, residents and even some addicts, HHCLA opens its doors at 412 E 4th Street in daily to a long line of people that visit the location religiously all the while some can be seen fearlessly using and selling drugs right outside the non-profit gateways.
Although cries from the locals against the program may have gone unheard, a local business improvement district has taken it upon themselves to expose what they feel is creating an open drug scene and jeopardizing the safety, entrepreneurship, and overall well-being of the downtown community.
Estela Lopez, Executive Director of the LA Downtown Industrial Business Improvement District, isn’t the first to document the daily activities, but somehow her voice has become one of the loudest after recently filming a time-lapse video later submitted it to the Mayor’s office and County Board of Supervisors. Her video is now being widely shared across social media.
Lopez told Fox News in a recent interview,
“It looks very much like a government-run crack house on the sidewalk. How else can you describe this?”
Drug dealing caught on film – Courtesy of LA Downtown Industrial Business Improvement District
“What you see in this video is nothing short of the worst drug location in Skid Row right now, and that’s saying a lot because Skid Row is the drug and overdose capital of Los Angeles.”
Long time, disenfranchised, unheard, and feeling disrespected, the community of Skid Row may have found a strong, articulate, and widely respected ally in BID leader Erica Lopez, whose entity is in charge of cleaning up Skid Row, public safety, and business improvement. Her message mimics that of Skid Row leaders in a long-standing attempt to raise development standards for the area.
“I represent business people, people who come there to work, people who live on Skid Row, and people who work on Skid Row. They want their area to be safe. They deserve the same level of safety and attention as any other community,” she emphasized.
Proponents, on the other hand, see HHCLA’s approach as a pragmatic solution to a devastating problem. They acknowledge the ugliness of addiction but argue that clean needles save lives.
Addiction, they say, is a disease, not a moral failing. By providing clean supplies, they aim to reduce the risk of infection and offer a bridge to treatment when the addict is ready.
To their benefit, HHCLA has been known to distribute hygiene kits, water stations via their Refresh Spot program, Covid mask and anti-opiate overdose kits for heroin and fentanyl. Which may explain a significant drop in overdoses as mentioned in their promotional materials.
The HHCLA non profit is so confident in their abilities they have been known to produce musical ad campaigns with choreograph dancers, and praising themselves on their social channels for periodic galas and art shows where exhibits of drug paraphernalia are curated.
Photo posted on HHCLA Instagram – with caption reading – “Huge thank you to all of our incredible collaborator sponsors donors and friends for making the art of saving lives such a beautiful successful night of raising funds and awareness for the life-saving work we do at HHCLA”
In response, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced, in part:
Across Los Angeles County, harm reduction programs reverse over 700 overdoses each month. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, harm reduction services are effective and cost-saving, do not increase illegal drug use, and play an important role in reducing the transmission of viral hepatitis, HIV, and other infections.
People engaged in sterile syringe programs are five times more likely to participate in substance use treatment and three times more likely to reduce or stop injecting than those who have never had access to harm reduction services.”
To their credit, HHCLA is known for Refresh Spot, distributing hygiene kits, surgical masks, and opioid overdose kits which surely could reduce the amounts of overdoses. Unfortunately, the video of hundreds of people using outside HHCLA doorsteps may not be congruent with what locals had in mind when it comes to harm reduction.
Is it feasible to state, HHCLA may be adding to the numbers of used syringes, crack and meth pipes, and other drug paraphernalia found in mass on the ground, alleys and public spaces for all to see in downtown Los Angeles. While their website states they offer needle exchange, videos in the past have not relayed this to be 100 percent accurate. Most likely the clean team of Estela Lopez could better attest to the increase or decrease in drug paraphernalia found in the area since the HHCLA program started.
Drug dealing caught on film – see full video – Courtesy of LA Downtown Industrial Business Improvement District via – @streetpeopleoflosangeles
So what came first?
Saving the lives addicts that have purposed their futures to consume drugs at any cost, risking disease and even death, or lending such addicts a public space where they can publicly use and deal drugs and clean reusable paraphernalia in hopes they may never pass the free gifts around amongst themselves a moment later.
Seen here – The Art of Saving Lives Gala Backdrop – photo courtesy HHCLA
And how would this age-old question be answered if law enforcement was able to use their resources to stop illegal drugs from permeating downtown Los Angeles?
Despite the controversy, Homeless Healthcare Los Angeles plans to open at least two more locations in downtown LA.
