82. LOST ANGELS: SKID ROW IS MY HOME

50 blocks in downtown los angeles.  an area long ago designated as skid row in an attempt to provide low income housing.  in the beginning, the majority were drunks.  but after mental hospitals were closed in the 80's, the vast majority of skid row inhabitants have mental illness.  the majority are not sleeping on the street, as one might think.  the area has the largest concentration of single rooms, rented by people who earn less than $300/month.  still many do live on the streets and we meet many of them.  what the film shows is that some are educated; some have been married and have children; some worked in jobs.  we learn others have struggled their entire lives, been victims of abuse, struggled with substance addiction.  many actually FIND themselves on skid row and turn their lives around.  many find love and acceptance on skid row.  there is community and a general acceptance of who each one is.  i feel that i learned a lot, but i also feel like the majority of the people in this film were the ones that somewhat were getting their lives together.  even in this group, however, we see the mental or physical health issues that contributed to finding themselves on skid row.  is it a sad place?  maybe  should it be eliminated?  the speakers in the film think not.........where would thousands of displaced, mentally ill people go if this home were gone?  it's an interesting concept; one i'm going to try to think more about.