*This episode contains explicit content
Los Angeles has become a city of tent encampments that line public streets, cluster under freeway overpasses, and sprout in local parks. But when a new camp popped up on a sidewalk in Brentwood, one of LA’s richest neighborhoods, Angelenos took notice. It looked like no other camp in the city: an orderly line of large matching tents, each plastered with a 3 foot by 5 foot American flag.
The encampment quickly grew and drew in people who otherwise ignored homeless camps. Neighbors brought food or books, directors filmed commercials, and political candidates threw rallies at the tent city. That’s because every resident of this encampment was someone Americans generally feel they owe a debt: They were all U.S. military veterans.
In the first episode of City of Tents: Veterans Row, Anna Scott takes you inside the tents to meet the men who live here, and she begins to unravel the mystery of why they are there. She gets an earful from the neighbors. And she introduces you to the veteran who dedicates all his time to managing the camp, even though he has a place to live.
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Ep. 2 How Did We Get Here?