Finding L.A.s hidden homeless

September 2008

To most people, it is just trash: A scrap of dirty blanket visible under some stairs. A glimpse of blue tarp peeking out of a bush. A bag of recyclables parked discreetly behind a concrete column.

But Courtney Kanagi, an outreach worker, has learned how to decode bits of urban detritus that most people ignore. She knows what these signs mean: the crawl space beneath the stairs was someones home.

Poverty Insights Online Journal
Formerly Inforum

Insights on poverty, housing, and homelessness in the
United States.