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LA City Council Votes to Enforce Anti-Camping Ordinance in Westside, parts of NoHo
A worker with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) and activists with Services Not Sweeps help a person experiencing homelessness move a cart with possessions so they are not removed as Los Angeles City Bureau of Sanitation workers conduct a cleanup sweep of a homeless encampment in the Harbor City in January.
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Patrick T. Fallon
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AFP via Getty Images
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The City Council decided Wednesday to enforce its anti-camping law — known as the "41.18 Ordinance" — in the Westside of Los Angeles and to five zones in North Hollywood. That means no sleeping, sitting, and placing personal property within 500 feet of public spaces, including schools and daycares, according to the ordinance.
Why it matters
The decision comes after the election of Traci Park, who represents the 11th district. Her predecessor, Mike Bonin, voted against the ordinance after it was amended last year to expand the anti-camping ordinance to schools and daycares.
Here are the areas where the ordinance will be enforced in the Westside:
- Linnie Canal Park
- Abbot Kinney Memorial Branch Library
- Venice Beach Recreation Center and Boardwalk
- Bill Rosendahl Del Rey Park
- Westchester Recreation Center and Park
- Venice A Bridge Home
- Iowa Safe Parking
- Super 8 Homekey
- Extended Stay Homekey
The ordinance will also apply to five zones in North Hollywood, which are:
- Riverside Drive and 134 Freeway Underpass
- North Hollywood Red/Orange Line Station Active Railway
- North and South Weddington Park Public Park
- Vineland Avenue and 134 Freeway Underpass
- Tujunga Avenue and 101 Freeway Underpass
The vote
The council voted 9 to 4, with councilmembers Nithya Raman, Katy Yaroslavsky, Marqueece Harris-Dawson and Hugo Soto-Martinez in opposition.
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At the meeting, Yaroslavsky, who represents the fifth district, expressed concerns in expanding the ordinance.
"It just blows up encampments and spreads people around. Homelessness has gotten worse in my district. And I don't think that if we're forcing 41.18 without credible offers of housing and services, we're doing what's right," she said.
The majority of public comment supported the ordinance, with voices coming mainly from the Westside of Los Angeles, expressing their safety concerns about seeing encampments pop up. Park reassured the council that her district has the resources to help unhoused residents get off the streets.
"We do have the beds available. We have the resources, and this is something that our community has asked for," Park said.
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