Los Angeles has historically faced homelessness during times of national upheaval, particularly during the Great Depression and the post-World War II housing crunch. The economic challenges of the 1970s led to a resurgence of homelessness, with current rates among the highest in the nation. Beginning in the 1800s, the city attempted to manage vagrancy through incarceration and poor farms. The 1930s saw the rise of Skid Row, attracting transients. A construction boom post-World War II temporarily alleviated the issue before the crisis returned in subsequent decades.
Los Angeles experienced its first wide-scale homelessness during two significant periods of national upheaval - the Great Depression and the housing crunch after World War II.
In the 1970s, economic events and public policy decisions conspired to drive people onto the streets again, resulting in chronic homelessness that persists today.
Going back to the 1800s, Los Angeles dealt with transients by locking them up in jail or sending them to work at the county poor farm.
The emergence of Skid Row in the 1930s became symbolic of the struggles faced by transients, offering cheap residential options amidst widespread poverty.
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