Behind the Lens: Homeless and Sleeping at City Hall

In a city that ranks near the bottom in terms of sheltering the homeless, it’s not at all unusual to see people living on the streets of Los Angeles. Even so, it’s a little startling to see them huddled under blankets, scattered across the manicured lawn of City Hall.

The past half-dozen years have seen the homeless population in the city increase 75 percent. The building boom of recent years has exacerbated the problem but may soon contribute to a solution.

Under a measure passed by the City Council in December, developers will fund construction of housing for those who can’t afford the new Los Angeles. Mayor Eric Garcetti’s administration has set a goal of 100,000 affordable units by 2021.

Whether or not that will get people off the streets -- or the grass next to City Hall -- remains to be seen.