[image of Skid Row by Don Garza via flickr]
A reader, who sounds much, much smarter than us, emails with a question about the continuing friction between the new Downtown loftees and their homeless neighbors in Skid Row. Will the loft juggernaut sputter and die in the face of an intractable homeless situation, or will the homeless and their support services be forced out by gentrification.
As a frequent reader of LA Curbed, I am writing you regarding the development of downtown and its subsequent push on Skid Row. An article on the area was recently written, see here. In it Alice Callaghan of the Skid Row Housing Trust stated that, coexistence doesn't work with regards to the juxtaposition between Skid Row residents and the increase in middle and high income residents that inhabit downtown lofts. I was hoping you might provide me with your opinion... Specifically, what if anything, do you think can be done to balance the housing needs of a continuum of income levels in the downtown?
Can regulatory measures like “inclusionary zoning” make a difference? I sincerely appreciate any response you might be able to provide.
Reader responses are welcome in our comments.