Residents in South Los Angeles say their neighborhood has been troubled by an area homeless encampment that the city says has been addressed more than 20 times this year.
In Florence, residents near Avalon Boulevard and 65th Street say the nearby encampment blocks sidewalks and makes for dangerous walking conditions since the tents spill onto the street.
Armando Ponze, who lives in the area, said unhoused residents have set up camp in various spots in the neighborhood.
“A lot of the homeless have been taking every space around the block,” he said.
Another man, who wished not to be identified, said the encampments have resulted in trash fires starting and community members feeling unsafe since they’ve been threatened.
Councilmember Curren Price’s Office said that particular encampment has been a challenge.
“This particular encampment has been a long-standing concern in District 9 and has received significant attention and resources,” his office’s statement read. “Since January, our office has coordinated more than 20 CARE and CARE+ cleanups along the Avalon Corridor between Gage and Florence.
“In May, we partnered with Mayor Karen Bass to launch an Inside Safe operation that helped 32 individuals experiencing homelessness move indoors. While not everyone is ready to accept services, our team remains committed to consistent outreach, compassion, and action. We’ll continue working with our partners to connect people to help and restore safety and cleanliness for everyone in the community.”
Curren’s office added that it’s working to coordinate another cleanup in the coming week.