Wall of bikes brings attention to homelessness

By CNN Newsource

Published September 28, 2021 2:30 PM

By KCAL KCBS Staff

LOS ANGELES (KCAL) — A large wall of bicycles created by a local unhoused man is lending a window into the increasing number of people living on the 4th Street sidewalk in Koreatown since the pandemic began.

“It’s been extremely neglected as far as the sanitation stations and restrooms they have put there,” said Jamie Penn, a Wilshire Center Koreatown Homeless liaison. Penn added at one point about 50 people lived in the encampment.

Some local businesses said the encampment is costing them potential customers and patients.

“I have a few who have left our practice,” said Dr. Charisma Lasan who works at a dental office across the street from the encampment. “They actually came and turned around and just went home, after they saw that happened outside.”

CBSLA reached out to Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell’s office who represents the district. He said an outreach team has been to the area more than 50 times since April and that they have been working to connect people to several hundred beds in the district.

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