Skid Row in Los Angeles, one of the most concentrated homeless zones in the US, is a stark example of what happens when ideology overrides reality. Los Angeles has been using Housing First, a model that places people in permanent housing without requiring sobriety, treatment, or stability first, to remove barriers to shelter. However, this model often fails to address the issue of addiction, severe mental illness, and human collapse. The violence on Skid Row is frequent, with many carrying makeshift weapons and many carrying knives, pipes, or other makeshift weapons. Kevin Dahlgren, a contributor to Discovery Institute’s Fix Homelessness initiative, witnessed violent assaults and animal abuse. He argues that the need for intervention, structure, and a system willing to act before collapse hardens into permanence.