After months of closed-door negotiations, the city of Los Angeles has agreed not to put a ceiling on how much property homeless people can keep on skid row and adjoining streets.
The city will, however, have the authority to destroy hazardous materials that could pose a public health risk and dispose of “bulky items” like sofas and refrigerators blocking the street.
In response to the 2016 lawsuit, Carl Mitchell et al. vs. city of Los Angeles, the city has also agreed to give better notice of cleanups and to pay plaintiffs $645,000 in legal fees and damages.
While some homeless advocates think this is a landmark agreement, local businesses and residents have expressed concerns about sanitation, trash, and lack of regulated enforcement of the terms of the agreement.
Guest:
Gale Holland, reporter for the L.A. Times covering homelessness and poverty; she tweets