This South Los Angeles living facility could be mistaken for a college dormitory — long hallways, shared bedrooms and personal touches as far as the eye can see. But, it's actually a "transitional housing for unsheltered adults" now connected to comprehensive care by Richard Reed. Reed founded the agency "First To Serve" 20 years ago.

The devastation of drug and alcohol addiction is all too real in the communities of South Los Angeles. Many lack the resources necessary to overcome these diseases. In these communities, Black and Brown addicts are often overlooked and casted away unsympathetically.But the national attitude toward drug addiction is entirely different.

As Los Angeles politicians face mounting pressure to combat the homelessness crisis, the City Council is weighing two measures aimed at clearing obstacles to getting more people into housing. But the proposed laws have stirred up concerns among critics who fear they will muzzle neighbors or concentrate homeless housing into specific neighborhoods.

The devastation of drug and alcohol addiction is all too real in the communities of South Los Angeles. Many lack the resources necessary to overcome these diseases. In these communities, Black and Brown addicts are often overlooked and casted away unsympathetically.But the national attitude toward drug addiction is entirely different.

You don’t normally associate entrepreneurs with potential solutions to homelessness. That’s exactly what Joe Patel, managing partner of Nikki Investments, a real estate development group, wants to change. “If we don’t become part of the solution then who do we turn to? You can’t just rely on the government,” Patel says.

The devastation of drug and alcohol addiction is all too real in the communities of South Los Angeles. Many lack the resources necessary to overcome these diseases. In these communities, Black and Brown addicts are often overlooked and casted away unsympathetically.But the national attitude toward drug addiction is entirely different.