Downtown LA slammed as ‘third world’ as shocking video shows homeless camped out on trash-covered sidewalks after setting FIRE in middle of the road – with Elon Musk summing up eyesore in one word: ‘Wow’

Downtown Los Angeles has been described as ‘third world’ after shocking images revealed a homeless camp with fireplaces in the streets and rubbish-covered sidewalks.

The surprising video, posted to

Some stand around an open fire on the street, near the Midnight Mission, a $17 million homeless center.

Billionaire tycoon Elon Musk, who has previously spoken out about California’s homelessness crisis, summed up the video with one word: “wow.”

“Gavin Newsom’s California is the richest state, but its cities resemble those of third world countries,” said one X user.

“If you didn’t tell us this was LA, we’d think this was a city in a third world country!” another commented.

A third added: ‘Funny how the Hollywood elites are so outspoken about citizens of other countries living in third world conditions, but silent about their own backyards.’

LA is currently home to more than 46,000 unhoused people, a 10 percent increase from the previous year, according to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.

Homelessness in downtown LA in particular has exploded since the pandemic, with more than 10,000 more unhoused people on the streets since 2019.

Since 2015, homelessness in the city has increased by 70 percent.

Services like the Midnights Mission, whose main center is just meters away from the shocking video circulating online, have been pushed to the limits of their capabilities.

The mission serves three meals a day to people living on the streets, and also offers services such as temporary housing, a barbershop and a women’s crisis center.

According to the organization, homelessness among women in LA has increased by 55 percent in just three years.

More than 90 percent of these women have experienced physical or sexual violence.

In August, it emerged that the city had resorted to sending mobile teams with oxygen cylinders to Skid Row in a desperate bid to prevent overdoses as the area becomes gripped by an opioid crisis.

Workers from the nonprofit Homeless Health Care Los Angeles now patrol the streets between winding rows of makeshift housing where homeless people sleep among the few belongings they own — while others in poor health inject or smoke illegal substances.

Los Angeles County has a budget of $609.7 million to address homelessness in 2023-2024, $61.8 million more than the previous year.

The budget will go toward reducing encampments, increasing temporary and permanent housing and increasing mental health and substance abuse services for people experiencing homelessness.

Despite efforts, California Governor Gavin Newsom admitted last summer that the state’s homeless crisis was a “disgrace” and promised even more resources to tackle the problem.

Homelessness rates across California increased 13 percent in California during Newsom’s time as governor, with state statistics showing a 6.8 percent increase from 2019 to 2020, and another 6 percent from 2020 to 2022, according to Public Policy and Institute of California. .

“This state has not made progress on homelessness in the last 20 years because housing costs are too high, our regulations are too problematic, and localism has had too much of an impact – meaning people locally resist starting new homes and their construction,” Newsom told Fox News host Sean Hannity in a June interview.

However, he added that he had only been in office for four years and that was not enough time to “make up for the fact that we had historic numbers of homeless people in 2005 under a Republican administration.”

The governor said, “I own this. I take responsibility for this when confronted with California’s shocking homelessness rates.

“I have a $15.3 billion homeless plan. When I got here it was half a billion dollars. The state of California was not involved in the homeless problem. We got involved.

He added: “We hold cities and counties accountable. I sue cities that don’t produce housing. We’re actually at a 15-year high in new housing in the state of California. We see programs delivering real results, but I want accountability.”

Newsom acknowledged that businesses were leaving and that the state’s cities were plagued by safety problems, but insisted, “I love this state. I don’t like what’s happening to the encampments, I don’t like what’s happening to the streets and sidewalks.”