Judge Presses Pause on Controversial Skid Row Housing Order

A 60-day grace period and some additional contingencies have been added to a court order for the city and county of Los Angeles to provide shelter or housing to the thousands of people experiencing homelessness on Skid Row in Downtown Los Angeles.

1 minute read

April 28, 2021, 8:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


California Homeless

Philip Pilosian / Shutterstock

"A federal judge overseeing a lawsuit over homelessness in Los Angeles says in a new court order that he will give the city 60 days to detail how its planned $1 billion in funding for homelessness will be spent," reports Dakota Smith.

The news comes less than a week after the judge ordered the city and county of Los Angeles to offer shelter and housing to the more than 4,600 people experiencing homelessness on the streets of Skid Row in Downtown Los Angeles.

"Judge David O. Carter, in a preliminary injunction last week, ordered the city to put $1 billion in an escrow account , with the money to be used for homelessness," writes Smith to explain some of the details of the order. More details on the substance of the 60-day delay are found in the source article below.

As reported by Benjamin Oreskes and Emily Alpert Reyes on April 23, the city and county of Los Angeles asked for the order to stayed.

On April 25, Oreskes reported on the growing resistance to the judge's order: "Critics, including the Los Angeles Community Action Network, have argued that the tight timelines in the order would propel spending on temporary shelter rather than long-standing housing, failing to address the underlying problem."

Monday, April 26, 2021 in Los Angeles Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Ken Jennings stands in front of Snohomish County Community Transit bus.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series

The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

April 20 - Streetsblog USA

Close-up on BLM sign on Continental Divide Trail in Rawlins, Wyoming.

BLM To Rescind Public Lands Rule

The change will downgrade conservation, once again putting federal land at risk for mining and other extractive uses.

April 20 - Public Domain

Calvary Street bridge over freeway in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Indy Neighborhood Group Builds Temporary Multi-Use Path

Community members, aided in part by funding from the city, repurposed a vehicle lane to create a protected bike and pedestrian path for the summer season.

April 20 - Smart Cities Dive