Saturday, October 19, 2013

AP PHOTOS: Skid Row, a battle of misery and hope


LOS ANGELES (AP) — Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles has been home for thousands of homeless people, a tenuous comfort zone for many who hit the rock bottom of their lives in America.

The area, originally agricultural until the 1870s when railroads first entered Los Angeles, has maintained a transient nature through the years from the influxes of short-term workers, migrants fleeing economic hardship during the Great Depression, military personnel during World War II and the Vietnam War and low-skilled workers with limited transportation options who need to remain close to the city's core, according to the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce.

It's also a battleground where the poor fight merciless drug addiction and alcoholism.

On Skid Row they're offered a place to sleep, food, counseling and even spiritual support. Some win the battle and turn their miseries into testimonies. Others don't. It's not a rare scene on Skid Row to spot addicts doing drugs in the open even when police patrol the area.

Temptation lurks on every corner of the grid — but so do helping hands.

The fight continues today. The warm afternoon sunlight shines on those who sleep on the sidewalk.

Here's a gallery of images from Skid Row by photographer Jae C. Hong.

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Follow AP photographers and photo editors on Twitter: http://apne.ws/15Oo6jo

Follow Jae C. Hong on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jaethephotog

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ap-photos-skid-row-battle-misery-hope-151518697.html
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