While Cities Pass Laws That Punish Homelessness, Los Angeles Opens a Harm Reduction Campus Built on Dignity and Care
People experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles with a substance use disorder have a new compassionate treatment option, according to reports.
This spring, LA opened the Skid Row Cares campus to help people living unsheltered access treatment and other services. The campus uses harm reduction principles to help people address underlying issues related to homelessness. For people who are working toward sobriety, the campus offers mental health and addiction treatments. Those who are not ready to quit using drugs can receive clean syringes, pipes, and drug testing strips.
Overall, the campus has 22 recovery beds and another 48 beds reserved for seniors experiencing homelessness who need shelter. There are also arts and wellness programs, a food pantry, and pet care.
“We get a really bad rap for this, but this is the safest way to use drugs,” Darren Willett, director of the Center for Harm Reduction on the new Skid Row Care Campus, told KFF Health News. “It’s an overdose prevention strategy, and it prevents the spread of infectious disease.”
Skid Row Cares has opened at a time when many cities across the country are passing laws to further criminalize homelessness. According to research from the National Homelessness Law Center, more than 320 cities have passed laws criminalizing acts associated with homelessness since 2024, like sitting, eating, or lying down in public spaces.
Meanwhile, unsheltered homelessness continues to grow. As of last year, more than 274,000 people lived unsheltered across America, which represents an increase of 17% since 2022, federal data shows. That increase occurred despite the federal government investing billions into homeless services during President Joe Biden’s administration.
‘An Enormous Step Backwards’
President Donald Trump’s administration has taken a decidedly different approach to addressing homelessness. For example, Trump signed an executive order requiring states to treat unsheltered homelessness, mental health disorders, and substance abuse issues as criminal activity.
The executive order also threatens to withhold money for Housing First and safe consumption sites for local governments that don’t reduce the number of unsheltered homeless. Experts see the order as one of the clearest attacks on the philosophy of harm reduction in American history.
The Department of Health and Human Services has also taken steps to increase access to 12-step and religion-based treatment options under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s leadership. For instance, the department plans to open remote treatment facilities that resemble farms where people can receive treatment and work at the same time.
Experts have criticized HHS’s approach, saying it doesn’t address the wellness needs of people in treatment.
“I think [Kennedy’s plan] would be an enormous step backward,” Maia Szalavitz, an author and activist, told NPR in January.
Other advocates like OnPoint NYC Executive Director Sam Rivera say that harm reduction policies are the best way to both address homelessness and prevent overdoses. Rivera told local news station ABC 7 in New York about the life-saving aspects of harm reduction. Rivera added that OnPoint’s clinic has prevented more than 1,700 deaths since it opened.
“Every single one of them deserves compassion and a chance at healing,” Rivera said, referring to the people who seek help through OnPoint NYC’s clinics.
“This work is not just vital; it’s transformational. Lives are being saved, hope is being restored, and healing is possible,” Rivera continued.
Several other states are considering opening safe consumption sites or other harm reduction centers for people experiencing homelessness to access treatment and services. For instance, lawmakers in Connecticut are considering a bill to legalize safe consumption sites and overdose prevention centers across the state. The bill would require the centers to include mental health counseling services.
Illinois lawmakers are also considering legislation to create overdose prevention centers.
The Case for Harm Reduction
Opposition to safe consumption sites and harm reduction practices is often founded on false premises and myths about drug use and homelessness.
One of the most common myths is that safe consumption sites simply allow people to continue using drugs. That claim relies on the assumption that people who enter the facilities are not looking for treatment options, and that being in an environment where peers are seeking treatment would not influence someone to change their drug habits. However, neither premise stands up to scrutiny.
For example, people who use safe consumption sites are between 1.4 and 1.7 times more likely to access treatment for substance use disorders compared to people who use drugs who live on the streets or in shelters, according to one study from the National Institute of Health.
Other studies have linked safe consumption sites with decreased emergency department visits and hospitalizations.
Another myth underpinning opposition to safe consumption sites and harm reduction is that they don’t address homelessness, only acts associated with it. However, research from Johns Hopkins University shows that this claim is false.
Safe consumption sites, when paired with Housing First services, can significantly reduce an individual’s chance of relapsing or losing their home. One study shows that living without housing is one of the major factors that amplifies substance use disorders. More than three-quarters of people who had access to Housing First while undergoing treatment stayed housed for at least six months compared to 27% of people who underwent treatment alone, according to the study.
Harm reduction not only saves lives but also reduces homelessness when people have access to healthy, safe homes where they can recover.
The Challenge Ahead: Fighting Back Against Criminalization
With the Supreme Court’s gutting of essential protections for homeless people, the fight for real solutions is more critical than ever. Nationwide, anti-homeless laws are gaining ground in legislative committees, fueled by hidden votes, corporate backing, out-of-state lobbyists, and conservative think tanks like the Cicero Institute. These punitive measures only push people further into crisis while diverting resources from proven housing solutions.
However, as cities across the country have shown, progress is possible when communities invest in housing, outreach, and compassionate engagement. Their success stories offer a roadmap: fund affordable housing, strengthen service networks, and prioritize human dignity over criminalization.
The question now is whether other cities will follow their lead. The choice is ours—to keep repeating the failed cycle of sweeps and displacement or to invest in real, lasting solutions. The time to act is now. Stand with our vulnerable neighbors, support housing-first policies, and demand that our leaders expand programs that work. Ending unsheltered homelessness isn’t just possible—it’s within reach. Contact your representatives and urge them to take meaningful action to address homelessness.
