Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton walked through sprawling homeless encampments, open drug use, and trash-covered sidewalks in Skid Row, condemning California’s homelessness situation as a political scandal created by Democratic policies.

Fox News Digital observed Narcan distribution points, human feces on sidewalks, and piles of ash during its Oct. 9 visit. People in the neighborhood said the ash came from fires lit earlier that morning to keep warm.

Hilton rejected the familiar description of the conditions as a crisis, arguing that the term makes the situation sound like an unavoidable natural disaster. He told Fox News Digital, "No, it is not a crisis. It's actually a scandal."

The scrutiny surrounding Skid Row intensified after a sweeping federal drug raid Thursday. The crackdown came as voting gets underway in the Nov. 3 governor’s race between Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra, with homelessness and taxpayer spending again emerging as campaign issues.

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Hilton accused Democratic leaders of spending billions while allowing conditions on California streets to deteriorate. He also targeted government-funded nonprofits and real estate developers that he claimed have financially benefited from the continuing problem.

"The real estate developers, and it's a real crony game now, which I've been told about many times," Hilton said. He claimed a small group receives contracts to build apartment units while drug addiction and other problems remain unaddressed.

Hilton also argued that nonprofits operating under a philosophy of harm reduction lack an incentive to end homelessness. "Because if they solve the problem, they don't get paid anymore. So they have an incentive to keep it going."

In September, federal prosecutors charged the founder of a Los Angeles area homelessness nonprofit with wire fraud. Prosecutors alleged that he misused taxpayer funds, including nearly $50,000 for a trip to Tahiti, after receiving more than $118 million through government contracts.

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Federal and local authorities, including the FBI, DEA and LAPD, arrested 23 of 28 defendants charged in a drug trafficking investigation Thursday. Authorities targeted alleged gang-affiliated dealers and independent operators accused of selling fentanyl, methamphetamine and other drugs around Skid Row.

Hilton said his plan for clean streets begins with enforcing existing laws and removing encampments. He argued that allowing people to continue living in those conditions is cruel both to those on the streets and those who experience the disorder every day.

During the tour, a woman living on Skid Row gave Hilton a blunt assessment of her drug use. "I like being on drugs, but if I have to quit, then I most definitely will," she said when asked whether she wanted to stop.

The woman said she had lived on Skid Row for five years after moving from Syracuse, New York, partly because she had heard about California’s methadone clinics. She also said a former boyfriend had planned to find housing.

She was considering entering a treatment program in Tarzana, where she had heard patients could remain for a year or longer and receive methadone twice daily. Her account placed drug use and treatment directly inside the debate Hilton was highlighting.

Venus, a Skid Row volunteer who distributes food, also blasted Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. "We all loved her from the beginning, but she lied about the homeless," Venus said before asking what was happening and reminding Bass that residents had voted for her.

Venus later said Bass had not done her job and had failed to fulfill her pledge concerning homelessness. Bass joined local law enforcement officials Thursday to announce the results of the neighborhood drug crackdown.

Hilton also accused Becerra of taking California voters for granted, backing out of debates and failing to offer solutions. The former Fox News host said voters were growing tired of homelessness, high taxes and the soaring cost of living after years of Democratic leadership.

An unexpected critic came from further left. Adrian, who identified himself as a "patriotic American communist," said California leaders were not doing enough and explained that he considered himself further left than the mainstream Democratic Party.

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Adrian said he had lived on Skid Row for about a year after being evicted from a medical facility. He now volunteers at the Skid Row Care Campus, which he credited with providing therapy, medical services, and community activities that offer alternatives to using drugs all day.

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