{"id":256755,"date":"2026-04-08T01:47:09","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T01:47:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/256755\/"},"modified":"2026-04-08T01:47:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T01:47:09","slug":"people-living-in-tunnels-next-to-school-in-east-los-angeles-nbc-los-angeles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/256755\/","title":{"rendered":"People living in tunnels next to school in East Los Angeles \u2013 NBC Los Angeles"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Good Samaritan who found a couple living in the hollow pillars of a bridge<\/a> along the Los Angeles River discovered another group of unhoused Angelenos attempting to live inside tunnels next to an elementary school in East Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

Los Angeles resident Juan Naula runs\u00a0Clean LA With Me<\/a>, a nonprofit that aims to fight the city\u2019s waste crisis and \u201crestore dignity to our local neighborhoods.\u201d<\/p>\n

Naula often scours rough, industrial corners of East Los Angeles \u2014 the types of places most people move past, not toward.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJuan Naula, who runs a non-profit to pick up trash across the city, found the couple living in heartbreaking conditions. Mekahlo Medina reports for the NBC4 News at 6 p.m.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

During his ongoing mission to clean local streets, Naula told NBCLA he has encountered thousands of unhoused people trying to survive in horrific conditions, including the people living in the pillars, and people living in sewers and drainage pipes.<\/p>\n

About six months ago, Naula said he also found people living inside pedestrian tunnels near Soto Elementary.<\/p>\n

When he visited the tunnels again last week, Naula said he found the area filled with trash and at least one person living inside the tunnels. That person refused help from Naula.<\/p>\n

\u201cI see people in both sides of this tunnel,\u201d Naula explained. \u201cThis is how they are going in \u2014 they cut this one, and they go in there. It\u2019s sad.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the City of Los Angeles, about 200 pedestrian tunnels like the one near Soto Elementary were built in the 1920s and 1930s, primarily to serve as a safe passage for school children under dangerous, busy streets.<\/p>\n

Although the tunnel near the school has long been fenced off, it has been broken into and people continue to live inside.<\/p>\n

East Los Angeles resident Esmeralda Camacho lives near Soto Elementary and the 101 Freeway. She\u2019s often worried about safety in the area and plans to move out of the neighborhood.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cI kind of think its unsafe because when you come at night in this area, you never know what they could do to you,\u201d Camacho told NBCLA.<\/p>\n

NBCLA reached out to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) about the Soto tunnel and the people living in the bridge pillars.<\/p>\n

In an email response, LAHSA said it\u2019s still gathering more information about the locations serving as makeshift dwellings for unhoused Angelenos.<\/p>\n

On Monday, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass\u2019 office told NBCLA the living situation for the couple in the bridge pillars is \u201cunacceptable and tragic,\u201d and the mayor\u2019s office is \u201cevaluating this site to determine the appropriate next steps.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bass\u2019 office said Tuesday it is working with the district’s city councilor to also address the tunnel encampment near Soto Elementary.<\/p>\n

Earlier this week, Bass\u2019 office told NBCLA that because of the mayor\u2019s leadership and efforts to curb homelessness, \u201cstreet homeless is down nearly 18 percent after years of growth.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Camacho said she doesn\u2019t see the change in her neighborhood.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t see no difference, still,\u201d she told NBCLA.<\/p>\n

According to LAHSA, roughly 40% of unhoused people placed into housing through the City of LA\u2019s\u2019 $300 million\u00a0\u201cInside Safe\u201d program<\/a>\u00a0have ended up back on the streets.<\/p>\n

Bass said her office wants to decrease that number and reinforce the parts of their program that works.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, Naula said he\u2019ll continue his efforts to clean up LA and help whoever he can help, one street at a time.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are humans; they are human beings,\u201d Naula added. \u201cThey should get help.\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019s working\u00a0with other nonprofit organizations to round up resources and assistance for Angelenos living in these conditions.<\/p>\n

But he needs more help.<\/p>\n

Naula hopes more people will\u00a0find him on social media<\/a>\u00a0and be part of his ongoing Clean LA movement.<\/p>\n

People can help in several ways, including\u00a0volunteering<\/a>\u00a0for one of his many cleanup events, donating funds to buy supplies for the cleanup events, or donating essential items for unhoused neighbors like food, water, clothes, and hygiene kits.<\/p>\n

For more ways to get involved, visit Clean LA With Me\u2019s\u00a0website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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