LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Camping bans that were put in place in parts of Hollywood, Echo Park and Silver Lake are now being lifted.<\/p>\n
The Los Angeles City Council this week voted to remove homeless camping bans at 12 sites in Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez’s district, approving a proposal that sparked debate among council members over the city’s approach to homelessness.<\/p>\n
The discussion centered on the city’s Section 41.18 ordinance, which allows restrictions on homeless encampments in specific areas.<\/p>\n
Since 2021, the council has banned encampments in zones near locations including libraries, senior centers and freeway overpasses, as well as discretionary zones that are considered sensitive sites.<\/p>\n
Soto-Martinez sought council approval to remove camping bans at 12 sites in Echo Park, Silver Lake and Hollywood that had been designated by the previous council member representing the district.<\/p>\n
“What we found was that in my district, 96% of the people we spoke to either agreed with removing the zones, or had no opinions on the matter,” Soto-Martinez said.<\/p>\n
During the debate, council members expressed sharply differing views on the effectiveness of Section 41.18 restrictions.<\/p>\n
Councilmember Traci Park argued that camping bans should be more broadly applied around sensitive locations, saying, “41:18 should be mandated around sensitive sites … all of them.”<\/p>\n
Park also pointed to efforts in Venice Beach in 2021, when Sheriff Alex Villanueva cleared a large encampment in the area.<\/p>\n
“Once the encampment was gone, I secured 4,118 enforcement for that area to prevent the problem from recurring. And guess what? It worked,” Park said.<\/p>\n
Soto-Martinez criticized the strategy of removing encampments, arguing that it does not address the underlying housing needs of people experiencing homelessness.<\/p>\n
“Displacing our neighbors from block to block, or in many cases from district to district, doesn’t help them find housing,” he said.<\/p>\n
The council approved the request in a 10-3 vote. The action applies only to the 12 designated zones within Soto-Martinez’s district and does not affect encampment restrictions in other parts of Los Angeles.<\/p>\n
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