Ancillary #9: Water Insecurity on Skid Row

My final research topic is Water Insecurity on Skid Row. Water Insecurity in South-Central Los Angeles has been a long-standing issue that has been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. LA’s Skid Row is home to over 5,000 residents, who are supported by merely 5 public water fountains — all 5 of which were shut off to comply with Covid-19 precautions. Beyond the increased inaccessibility to water as a result of the shut off, the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted ongoing policy that was pushing for the community’s right to water. In 2012, California enacted the Human Right to Water Act, which established that every human has the right to affordable, clean, accessible water. However, the Covid-19 pandemic halted the progress of the act, leaving thousands of California residents waterless, particularly our neighbors on Skid Row. To support our neighbors, a local organization, Water Drop LA, has rallied volunteers — especially USC students — to deliver thousands of gallons of water weekly. So far, the organization has raised over $365,000 in funds, but their budget is quickly running low. Although others have tried to support the cause with city-wide GoFundMe’s, Skid Row residents are still struggling.

I am interested in exploring Water Insecurity on Skid Row further, not only to learn how to foster change locally, but also because the problem has deeper ties to the country’s structural racism. I want to know the best place to start: is it more helpful to begin by addressing and reversing the racist foundations of the city’s urban planning, or to simply focus on providing sufficient support and supplies to Skid Row residents now? I must research how the allocation of people in South-Central Los Angeles has contributed to this problem, how exactly the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted this already scarce access to water, and the specific consequences and further implications that water insecurity will have on this community.