L.A. Built a Licensed Tent City for Its Homeless – At Cost of $44K Per Tent

Los Angeles officials prioritized speed over cost while building a new city-sanction tent village for homeless people in East Hollywood, reportedly shelling out $44,000 for each individual tent — about the price of a new Tesla Model Y.

All told, it cost about $4 million to put up fencing, bathrooms, and staffing facilities for the village. Catering services and 24-7 staffing cost an additional $3 million per year, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Despite the high costs, the site is only temporary. It's located on a parking lot that will eventually be turned into public housing. But because it will take years for construction to commence on that project, the city decided to fill the space with tents in the meantime.

Urban Alchemy, a San Francisco-based nonprofit, maintains the camp village, but not without controversy.