THE HUTCHINSON REPORT: Young, Black females are sleeping on L.A.’s sidewalks
By Earl Ofari Hutchinson
Contributing Writer
It is a sight that has grown more commonplace and even more agonizing. And with good reason.
In 2024, the Urban Institute conducted a study on problem of women of color on the streets in Los Angeles County. The numbers are staggering. It found that three out of four women on the sidewalks are women of color. Thirty percent of those women are Black.
Though they make up less than 10% of the population of Los Angeles County, Black women are three times more likely to be homeless than white women. A growing percentage of those Black women who wind up on L.A.’s sidewalks are under age 30.
This new disturbing norm parallels a norm that this writer addressed in a prior column. That is the very noticeable surge in Black men, many of them young, sleeping on L.A.’s sidewalks. I pointed out that it’s now a common sight to see Black men sprawled out or just plain encamped on a cold, bare sidewalk in just about any part of Los Angeles.
That sight is so common in South Los Angeles that it no longer draws anything other than a passing glance — if that. But now increasingly noticeable is the sight of young Black women in that same position on sidewalks.
The reasons for the surge in the number of young Black men and women living on sidewalks have been repeatedly cited and are familiar: Lack of jobs, lack of education, lack of mental, drug and alcohol services, abundance of systemic racial and economic bias, and definitely an overabundance of uncompassionate caring and indifference. In the case of women, there’s the added threat of physical and sexual abuse and violence.
The finger of blame locally is pointed squarely at Los Angeles officials for not doing enough to combat the surge in sidewalk sleeping. This writer took to the sidewalks recently and challenged city officials to declare a state of emergency on the proliferation of Black men on sidewalks and then implement measures that could range from creating a special task force to establishing special home shelters for the sidewalk sleepers. I have made the same appeal to officials for similar action with the sidewalk encamped women.
Los Angeles County officials are mindful of the problem and dangers. In 2024, the county conducted a study of the problems and needs of what it delicately calls “unaccompanied women.” Plain speaking, that’s women in shelters, encampments or on the sidewalks.
It found several other disturbing problems with “unaccompanied women.” One, they were more likely to remain homeless or unsheltered than men. Two, Black women were more likely to be unsheltered the longest. Three, Black women were far more likely to experience chronic homelessness than any other group of “unaccompanied women.”
The most damning finding was four. It confirmed what I have repeatedly seen. That is that a near majority of “unaccompanied women” are not in shelters or encampments or in hotel rooms. They are on the sidewalks.
Unlike with men, the constant danger is the threat of physical or sexual violence and abuse and the accompanying trauma. According to the L.A. County study, a whopping 90% experienced physical or sexual assault or victimization. That wasn’t all.
They also experienced the theft of their personal belongings, repeated harassment or threats, and the danger of being physically hit or verbally abused. Again, Black women had the highest rate of victimization of any of the other segment of “unaccompanied women.”
Another chronic problem is the inability to secure safe living spaces — be they rooms, shelters or apartments. Nearly all the women in need rely on public-funded programs established to deal with homelessness. Again, those facilities have often been sorely lacking.
The Urban Institute proposed a series of reforms to address the crisis. It includes a radical expansion of the number of safe, and accessible shelters, more affordable housing and greater support for women’s access to high-quality, culturally responsive physical and mental health care.
That will take money, time, effort, and a renewed commitment to tackle this agonizing problem. The good news is that city and county officials have recognized that this is a tough and challenging problem, but one that they can’t ignore. The not so good news is that there is little chance with President Donald Trump’s massive slash of any program aimed at helping poor and working persons that the funding problem will worsen.
The daunting reality is that some “unaccompanied women” will be helped by the existent programs. But as it presently stands, not enough. And the sure bet is that a majority of those who will be left out in the cold on L.A.’s mean sidewalks will be Black, female and increasingly young. In other words, they are the new norm.
Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. His latest book is “The Epstein Distraction.” He hosts the weekly news and issues commentary radio show “The Hutchinson Report” Wednesdays at 6 p.m. at ktymgospel.net and Facebook Livestreamed at facebook.com/earl.o.hutchinson.
