A federal judge calls LA City and County officials to appear at hearing today on skid row, where he finds "the appalling and dangerous conditions" seem to be getting even worse.
Judge David Carter says, in his order, that he needs to "determine whether the failure to address life-threatening conditions...is a result of a lack of adequate resources, or reflects an unwillingness on the part of local officials to acknowledge the nature and [extent] of the crisis and make the hard choices...necessary" to deal with it.
Carter is overseeing a lawsuit filed by a coalition of residents, business owners and others over the City and County of LA's response to the homelessness crisis.
Read the order here.
He singles out LA officials, including Mayor Eric Garcetti, saying the "paralysis in the City appears to be complete."
Garcetti says he's already met with the judge this week and can't make it to today's hearing:
"I love Judge Carter. I think he's fond of me I'll let him say it - he's said it many times. I am very proud of the progress we have made," Garcetti says.
Under an agreement worked out with the county, the city has to provide 6,700 beds, most of them by April 16.
Garcetti says LA's on track to surpass that. But the city's homelessness coordinator tells council members while there are several projects in the works, it's unclear whether the city will get enough of them completed in time to meet the April 16 deadline.
