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#  Los Angeles Has Failed: Billions Spent, People Living in Sewers

March 26 2026

Written by Mihran Kalaydjian & Jay Handal.

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IN THEIR WORDS - Los Angeles is no longer drifting toward decline. It is collapsing and now, quite literally, people are living beneath it.

This week, it was revealed that individuals are living inside the sewer system in South Los Angeles. Not on sidewalks. Not in tents. Not in vehicles. In sewers underground, out of sight, in conditions that no human being should ever endure.

Let that sink in.

No city that tolerates this can claim to be functioning.

In one of the wealthiest cities in the wealthiest nation on earth, human beings are now forced into an underground existence. This is not just a policy failure. It is a moral collapse.

And yet, under Mayor Karen Bass, City Hall continues to celebrate.

We are told of “progress.” We hear about housing placements and program expansions. We are presented with carefully framed statistics meant to suggest momentum. But behind the press conferences and talking points lies a far uglier truth: after years of record spending measured in the billions, the crisis has worsened.

After billions in taxpayer dollars, the result is not recovery it is human beings living in sewers.

How is this possible?

How is it possible that after years of unprecedented spending, conditions have deteriorated to this point?

How is it possible that leadership continues to highlight limited gains while resisting full audits and transparent evaluations of the very programs consuming public funds?

This is not governance. This is failure.

The reality on the ground tells a different story one that residents see every day. Streets remain broken. Sidewalks are crumbling. Streetlights fail. Graffiti spreads unchecked. Public safety resources are stretched thin. Police staffing remains inadequate. Fire departments face growing demands without sufficient support.

Los Angeles is failing at the most basic functions of a major city.

And still, the current approach continues unchallenged and unchanged.

Instead of reassessing, instead of demanding measurable results, instead of insisting on accountability, elected officials defend the status quo. Failure is not corrected it is rewarded with more funding and less scrutiny.

Meanwhile, the consequences grow more severe.

What was once a visible homelessness crisis has now become an invisible one as well pushed underground, literally. An “underground society” is no longer a metaphor. It is a reality. People are living beneath our streets while leadership debates narratives and protects broken systems.

This is the ultimate indictment of leadership in Los Angeles.

Residents have warned for years that the city is beginning to resemble a Third World environment deteriorating infrastructure, declining public safety, and a growing inability to deliver basic services. That warning is no longer rhetorical. It is visible, measurable, and now undeniable.

This is what collapse looks like.

The question is no longer whether the current approach is working. It has failed completely and visibly. The question is how much further the city must fall before leaders acknowledge it and whether voters are willing to demand something better.

Because this moment cannot be ignored.

It is not enough to express concern. It is not enough to offer incremental adjustments. What is required is a fundamental shift in leadership, accountability, and priorities. Taxpayer dollars must be tracked. Programs must be measured. Results must be demanded. And failure must no longer be rewarded with more funding and less oversight.

June is approaching. The primaries are near.

Voters will decide whether to accept this decline or reject it.

If people living in our sewers is not the breaking point, then Los Angeles is no longer failing it has failed.

*(**Mihran Kalaydjian** is a seasoned public affairs and government relations professional with more than twenty years of experience in legislative affairs, public policy, community relations, and strategic communications. A respected civic leader and education advocate, he has spearheaded numerous academic and community initiatives, shaping dialogue and driving reform in local and regional political forums. His career reflects a steadfast commitment to transparency, accountability, and public service across Los Angeles and beyond.)*

*(**Jay Handal** is a veteran community advocate and longtime CityWatch contributor who plays a central role in holding Los Angeles City Hall accountable. He serves as treasurer of the West LA–Sawtelle Neighborhood Council. With decades of grassroots organizing and civic leadership, Jay is a relentless voice for transparency, fiscal reform, and empowering neighborhoods to challenge waste, mismanagement, and backroom decision-making at City Hall.)*

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