Not All Hand-Washing Stations for Homeless Are Serviced Regularly

Angel Trejo, a homeless man who lives near a hand-washing station that’s located under a 101 Freeway underpass near Echo Park, says he doesn’t use it because it’s often missing soap or water. He lives under a piece of tarp with a few belongings and tries his best to maintain his personal hygiene. 

Not all hand-washing stations are neglected. There is a station in MacArthur Park on Alvarado Boulevard, near Wilshire Boulevard that was well-maintained and serviced daily. However, on the opposite end of the park, at the corner of South Park View Street and West 6th Street, a hand-washing station located there had water but no soap. 

“Part of the problem that we have right now with trying to figure out how to provide services for these new hand-washing stations is that it was done on an emergency basis,” said Shayla Myers, a senior attorney with the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, which helps advocate for the homeless.

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