Midnight Ride Through Downtown Los Angeles Shines Spotlight on LA County Homelessness

A viral TikTok video by content creator John Hicks has once again drawn national attention to the persistent homelessness crisis in Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA), showcasing stark scenes of encampments, trash accumulation, and large numbers of unhoused individuals filling the streets, particularly in and around the Skid Row area.In the clip, titled along the lines of "What it's like in LA after dark" and posted on Hicks' account (@john_hicks

), the creator rides an e-bike through dimly lit blocks of DTLA late at night. The POV footage captures sprawling tent setups lining sidewalks, people gathered in groups amid overflowing trash piles, and an overall atmosphere described by viewers as chaotic and unsafe. One widely referenced video from his account has amassed hundreds of thousands of likes and tens of thousands of comments, with Hicks narrating the scene and highlighting the scale of the unhoused population in Skid Row-estimated between 9,000 and 15,000 people concentrated in just over 50 square blocks immediately east of central downtown.

John Hicks' Midnight Ride Through Downtown Los Angeles Shines Spotlight on LA County Homelessness

Hicks, known for his raw, unfiltered POV rides through urban areas on e-bikes, frequently posts content exploring what he calls the "wild" side of Los Angeles streets. In related videos, he discusses issues like trash overflow, public safety concerns, and the visible impact of homelessness on DTLA. He has warned viewers against lingering in Hollywood or downtown areas, citing high crime rates and dense concentrations of unhoused residents. One clip even touches on the broader political critique, noting billions spent on homelessness initiatives in California with seemingly little visible progress in cleaning up public spaces or providing adequate dumpsters and services.

The video's popularity has sparked heated online discussions. Supporters praise Hicks for shining a light on what they see as a neglected crisis, while critics accuse the content of sensationalism or exploiting vulnerable people for views. Shared across platforms-including reposts on X (formerly Twitter) framing DTLA as filled with "abandoned malls taken over by homeless people"-the footage has fueled debates about urban decay, policy failures, and preparations for upcoming events like the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

Homelessness in Los Angeles County remains one of the most severe in the nation, with official counts showing 75,000 unhoused, many in DTLA's Skid Row-a historic epicenter for the issue. Advocates point to root causes like housing affordability, mental health challenges, and substance use, while city officials have rolled out various sweeps, housing programs, and services in recent years with mixed results.

Hicks' videos add to a growing genre of urban exploration content that documents street-level realities in major American cities, often going viral for their unflinching portrayal. Whether the exposure leads to greater awareness or simply more polarization remains to be seen, but the clip has undeniably amplified conversations about what many describe as a humanitarian and public safety emergency in the heart of one of the world's largest cities.