[3] Its long history of police raids, targeted city initiatives, and homelessness advocacy make it one of the most notable districts in Los Angeles.

[15] It became "an enclave of small hotels, movie theaters and cheap eateries that served transient workers in seasonal industries and nearby railroads".

In June 1947, Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) chief Clemence B. Horrall ordered what he called a "blockade raid" of the whole Skid Row area.

[20] Skid Row was established by city officials in 1976 as an unofficial "containment zone", where shelters and services for homeless people would be tolerated.

[21] During the 1970s, two Catholic Workers — Catherine Morris, a former nun, and her husband, Jeff Dietrich — founded the "Hippie Kitchen" in the back of a van.

[22] Throughout the 1960's and 1970's, many Vietnam veterans found themselves drawn to Skid Row, due to the services and missions already in place there and feeling outcast from other areas.

[20] In February 1987, LAPD chief Daryl Gates, backed by then-Mayor Tom Bradley, announced plans for another crackdown on the homeless on Skid Row.

[23] When Gates announced in May that the crackdown would resume, Los Angeles City Attorney (and future mayor) James K. Hahn responded that he would not prosecute people arrested in the planned sweeps.

"[23] A few days later, then-Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky introduced a proposal that the city stop enforcing its anti-camping laws on Skid Row until adequate housing could be found for all its residents.

In response to the lack of legal recourse available to fight patient dumping, California state senator Gil Cedillo sponsored legislation against it in February 2007.

[28] Since Mike Feuer took office as City Attorney in 2013, he has settled eight additional cases of patient dumping with various hospitals around Los Angeles.

[29] In 2002, newly appointed LAPD Chief William Bratton announced a plan to clean up Skid Row by, among other things, enforcing the anti-camping ordinance.

His possessions, consisting of his tent, "blankets, clothes, cooking utensils, a hygiene kit, and other personal effects", were thrown into the street by the police.

[30][31] In April 2006, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled in favor of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in its suit against the city of Los Angeles, filed on behalf of Purrie and five other homeless people, finding that the city was in violation of the 8th and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution and sections of the California Constitution guaranteeing due process and equal protection and prohibiting cruel and unusual punishment in referral to Robinson v.

"[30] The ACLU sought a compromise in which the LAPD would be barred from arresting homeless people or confiscating their possessions on Skid Row between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 6:30 a.m.

The compromise plan, which was accepted by the city of Los Angeles, permits sleeping on the sidewalk except "within 10 feet of any business or residential entrance" and only between these hours.

[32] The Safer Cities Initiative (SCI) was a 68-week policy implemented in 2006 by the Los Angeles Police Department dealing with homeless encampments in Skid Row.

[38] These claims have been echoed by local activists, who argue that the initiative's frequent use of arrest warrants and tickets prevented individuals in-need from acquiring long-term housing and career opportunities.

[36] In 2012, the Skid Row Running Club was founded by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Craig Mitchell, as an effort to improve the livelihood of those in the area.

A documentary titled “Skid Row Marathon” was made about the group, which includes homeless people, police officers, and convicted felons.

The agreement allows the city to still seize any items that threaten public safety and health, as well as large “bulky items.” This includes most pieces of furniture or appliances.

An LA Times reporter, James Queally, wrote about the effect of the city's mandated lockdown orders and strict protocols on the citizens.

In an effort to resolve this, Los Angeles city officials set up 360 hand washing stations and a dozen mobile shower trucks.

[46] Los Angeles Times journalist Margaret Gray claimed that audience members "somehow felt like part of a family" when the performers were on stage and noted "while many charitable organizations focus on warehousing and policing homeless populations, LAPD attempts to remind them of their unique humanity, to empower them to take collective responsibility for their neighborhood and one another's health and safety".

[48] The "Skid Row City Limits Mural" was created solely by volunteers to express the community's feelings about the history and modern state of the neighborhood [see Landmarks].

[55] On June 1, 2006, the Los Angeles Times reported that fire officials planned to change the legend on the vehicles to read "Central City East".

[59] The community is served primarily by eight Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority bus lines:[60] Lost Angels: Skid Row Is My Home, a documentary produced by Agi Orsi,[65] tells the story of eight homeless people, including an Olympic athlete and Harvard graduate, who navigate a world of poverty, drug abuse, and mental illness to build a sense of community.

The film examines how the City of Los Angeles criminalizes homelessness by prohibiting Skid Row residents from standing and sitting for a prolonged period of time in a public place.