On Wednesday, Chris Cristi from AIR7 HD surveyed what can really be called the epicenter of this crisis - Skid Row.
Some people have walked through it, but it's another thing to fly over it and realize that the tents encompass a 62-block area just to the east of Little Tokyo.
Homeless in L.A.: Scope of growing problem can be seen in aerial tour of city
Scope of L.A.'s homeless crisis can be seen in aerial tour of Skid Row
Some corners of Los Angeles, like E. 6th and Crocker streets, have trash overflowing into the street. Other blocks have rows of tents that appear to nearly fully block sidewalks, making it difficult for people to pass through.
L.A.'s homeless: Aerial tour of Skid Row, epicenter of crisis
Some of the new luxury apartments on E. Third Street and S. San Pedro Street are only about a third of a mile away from some of the hardest hit parts of Skid Row, which is home to about 8,000 homeless residents.
For a look at AIR7 HD's aerial tour of the homeless problem on Skid Row, watch the video above.