Evidence of Homeslessness in Echo Park

By: Deann Coleman

The first day I entered Echo Park I parked near Echo Lake. Many people were present taking advantage of the beautiful lake stretching, running, walking, pushing baby carriages around the lake. As I walked up the incline toward the El Centro del Pueblo Center I saw men sitting in the park a bit tattered, but didn’t really see anything that would indicate they were homeless. However, later in the afternoon this whole scene would look different.
During our first day of walking through Echo Park I saw a car parked in a public parking lot behind a store. It was filled with garbage bags and the woman in the car wore a scarf on her head, seemed to be in her fifties with a very dark complexion. She looked like she was living in her car, but I can’t really confirm or deny this assumption.
Later in the afternoon when leaving Echo Park the park was filled with about 12-15 men and women sitting and sleeping on the grass. One could assume they were homeless carrying large garbage bags, bag packs and blankets. The entire scene and afternoon population of the Echo Lake changed. The elderly adults, mothers with their children and exercise conscience individuals were gone. Space was now occupied by these individuals who utilized the grass as a resting place. My heart was overwhelmed.
The second day in Echo Park I parked closer to the El Centro del Pueblo Center. Walking through this more affluent and historic section of the neighborhood I saw no evidence of homelessness, until we headed back down Glendale Blvd under Hollywood Freeway. Directly under the bridge there were blankets, bags and clothes spread over about 30 feet. It was obvious that people had made this space under the freeway their home. Also, as I walked past another section of the Echo Lake there were socks and shirts hanging off a tree limb apparently drying in the sun. I saw several individuals lying in the grass covered with black blankets. I couldn’t tell if they were male or female or if several people were under the blankets. I only knew that they seemed to be homeless with large back packs surrounding them.
After our walk ended, we went to lunch on Sunset Blvd where I saw a homeless man, dark complexion, messy hair and facial hair, wearing clothes that were torn and dingy and shabby shoes. He was pushing a store carriage filled with garbage bags, blankets and other items I could not identify. Obvious indicators of homelessness in Echo Park were people living under the freeway, sleeping in Echo Park, washing their clothes in the Echo Lake, living out of their car and walking the street pushing a steel store carriage however the full extent of homelessness is unknown.
I am not sure what public government services located in Echo Park are available to the homeless, however there are two churches that reach out to these individuals. The Cathedral Center of St. Paul Episcopal Church has a soup kitchen according to one of our team leaders however I was unable to see evidence of this on their website which is http://www.cathedralcenter.com/intro.html The Dream Center also located in Echo Park did have evidence of the assistance offered to the homeless in Echo Park on their website. Their website is http://www.dreamcenter.org/outreach/homeless/index.html
According to their website they reach out to the homeless providing food, clothes, vocational training, recovery assistance and shelter.