(Natural News)—Downtown Los Angeles has been likened to a “third world” area following the release of disturbing footage showcasing a homeless encampment, complete with open fires in the streets and sidewalks strewn with trash.
The alarming video, shared by Fox News reporter Bill Melugin on X, reveals numerous homeless individuals gathered on filthy sidewalks at the intersection of San Pedro Street and 6th Street in LA’s Skid Row neighborhood. Some are shown near open fires on the street, mere steps away from the Midnight Mission, a $17 million facility catering to the homeless.
Billionaire Elon Musk, known for his commentary on California’s homelessness crisis, simply reacted with “wow” upon viewing the footage.
Commenters on X expressed astonishment, with one stating, “Gavin Newsom’s California may be the wealthiest state, but its cities resemble those of Third World nations,” while another remarked, “If you didn’t tell us this was LA, we would think this was a city in a third-world country!”
The homeless population in LA currently exceeds 46,000 individuals, marking a 10 percent increase from the previous year, as reported by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.
LA, in particular, has witnessed a surge in homelessness since the onset of the pandemic, with over 10,000 more individuals living on the streets compared to 2019. Since 2015, homelessness in the city has risen by 70 percent. (Related: HOMELESSNESS in the U.S. reaches RECORD HIGH amid worsening economic downturn post-pandemic.)
The Midnight Mission, located just meters from the distressing scene captured in the online video, is facing severe strain on its resources.
The Mission provides three daily meals, temporary accommodation, a barbershop, and a women’s crisis center. However, despite their efforts, female homelessness in LA has spiked by 55 percent in three years, with over 90 percent of these women reporting experiences of physical or sexual assault.
To address the opioid crisis gripping Skid Row, the city has deployed mobile teams equipped with oxygen cylinders to prevent overdoses.
Meanwhile, workers from the non-profit organization Homeless Health Care Los Angeles traverse the streets, attending to individuals living among makeshift dwellings and witnessing dire health conditions, including substance abuse.
Los Angeles County has allocated a budget of $609.7 million to combat homelessness in 2023-2024, a $61.8 million increase from the previous year. Despite these efforts, Governor Gavin Newsom admitted last summer that the state’s homeless crisis was a “disgrace” and pledged additional resources.
During his tenure, homelessness in California has surged by 13 percent, prompting Newsom to acknowledge the challenges related to high housing costs, regulatory hurdles, and local opposition to new housing construction.
LA mayor faces big challenge
Following her election as mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass made a bold declaration that would serve as a defining measure of her tenure: “We are going to solve homelessness.”
The Democratic congresswoman, who was previously considered for vice president by Joe Biden, envisioned a transformed city with over 40,000 homeless individuals provided with housing and vital services to mend their fractured lives. “We are going to build a new Los Angeles,” she proclaimed.
Now, one year into her mayoral term, Bass reported that over 21,000 unhoused individuals were transitioned into leased hotels or temporary shelters in 2023, marking a 28 percent increase from the previous year.
Numerous drug-ridden street encampments were dismantled, and housing initiatives are underway. Yet, behind these promising statistics lies a harsh reality: this is merely the beginning.
Billions of dollars had been invested to address homelessness in the region, and new programs had been implemented. However, the mayor acknowledged the possibility of continued increases in homelessness, partly due to evictions and the cessation of Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) aid for low-income households.
While Bass has made progress, tackling LA’s homelessness crisis presents a formidable challenge. The city grapples with managing a potentially expanding homeless population, equivalent to the size of Palm Springs, without an efficient computer system capable of tracking individuals within it.
Visit CaliforniaCollapse.news for more stories like this. Watch this report about homelessness in California.
This video is from the Right Edition channel on Brighteon.com.
More related stories:
- Homeless camp pops up on a Beverly Hills sidewalk as homelessness spills into the wealthier areas of California.
- NBC News: Inflation and illegals to blame for HOMELESSNESS among LA students.
- Poll shows 86% of Americans believe homelessness is a major problem in the U.S.
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Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
