LOS ANGELES (KNX) - An encampment cleanup was underway Wednesday in Venice, but the area’s residents are skeptical that it will have any permanent effect on the homelessness problem.
The operation was not part of Mayor Karen Bass’ Inside Safe program, which offers people hotel rooms in exchange for voluntarily leaving their tents. This effort was organized by Councilmember Traci Park’s office as part of what she called a “beautification” project.
KNX News’ Pete Demetriou reports that the operation was led by LAPD and sanitation crews, who arrived Wednesday morning to force roughly 100 people out of the parking lot on Venice Boulevard and Dell Avenue.
A fence will go up once the cleanup is complete so the encampment residents can’t return.
Park said in a statement that her office has been “actively working to bring the individuals living at this site safely indoors in partnership with CIRCLE, LAHSA, St. Joseph and SHARE.”
Brian Ulf, CEO of SHARE, told the Westside Current that his organization was chosen to provide housing for the encampment because there are no more available Inside Safe hotel rooms in the council district.
Community advocacy organization Mar Vista Voice claimed that most of the encampment’s residents don’t qualify for SHARE’s program, which they say was the main housing option being offered earlier this week. However, several other housing providers were also on the scene during the cleanup Wednesday.
Park said her office was able to get six of the encampment’s residents into permanent supportive housing, KCAL reports. It’s unclear how many others accepted temporary shelter, but at least some seem to be remaining on the streets.
Kevin, an area resident who witnessed the cleanup, told KNX News that some of the encampment residents picked up their tents and were waiting around the perimeter of the parking lot until the police and sanitation workers left.
“I’m grateful that this is the cleanest it’s looked in 8 months, however, I’ve seen this happen before where they do a great job cleaning it up, and then within about 24 to 48 hours, half of the encampment has already moved back in,” he said.
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