“Addicts are a crucial subset of the homeless population. It is a brain disease, and brain diseases, as they progress, result in the loss of the ability to manage the necessities of daily life.”

“LA’s more diffuse geography created far less backlash.”

“The new activism resulted in the election in 2024 of the political neophyte Daniel Lurie, who ran on a platform of accountability, an end to the fentanyl crisis, and safe streets.”

“Mayor Lurie has followed through on his promises by stopping open-air drug markets and use, reforming the city’s harm-reduction outreach to help drug users access services, not just supplies.”

“For the first time, the city is funding recovery-focused residential facilities, including Hope House, operated by the Salvation Army.”

“Underlying LA’s (and most other cities’) emphasis on building ever-more-expensive permanent supportive housing units that carry no work or sobriety requirements is the assumption that the homeless will never progress, and that they will permanently require support.”

“Dr. Drew Pinsky is a board-certified physician and addiction medicine specialist.”