"Trust me, they make a lot of money on us here."
One practical question I've always had about this neighborhood in L.A.--Who are the property owners, and what's their situation?
On our recent visit, we first saw that some of the buildings are city-owned, such as the department of water and power.
Then, several properties belong to nonprofits offering services such as church missions and publicly-funded housing.
At a parking ramp, we were introduced to this situation for private property owners. Our guide Suzette explained that residents on sidewalks must be allowed to remain, while private security keeps an eye out for disruptions.
We also saw one convenience store right in the heart of Skid Row.
Finally, Suzette explained a common commercial real estate strategy: Companies (often from out of town) purchase low and can sit on properties for years, presumably waiting for their chance to develop and turn a profit.
In the sea of these humanitarian concerns, the everyday issue of money and business is also ever-present. It's just one of many addressed in our upcoming video about our visit to Skid Row.
We're in the middle of editing and look forward to premiering in the next week or so. Stay tuned.