Business owners in a Beverly Grove neighborhood are unhappy with the increase in homeless encampments on the streets.
Regular, monthly or bi-monthly cleaning was done this morning by the Los Angeles County Sanitation Department, but neighbors are asking the councilman representing the area to move the camps of these people.
Ward 5 councilor Katy Yaroslavsky, who represents the area, says she and her staff are working hard to end this problem.
This morning’s cleanup took place on the corner of Orlando and San Vicente, a location that has seen a dramatic increase in the number of homeless people living in encampments.
And although the cleanup is part of the city’s Care and Care Plus program that addresses the encampment problem, residents and owners say the problem will return.
“It’s been like this for 6-8 months, yeah, (the cleaning) is just temporary,” said business owner Tom Roth.
“It’s worse now that we have tents on our property, we have tents in the disabled areas,” said business owner Kenneth Wright.
Culver City has banned homeless encampments in city parks.
“We have cleaning care, but all it does is take people’s things, it doesn’t solve the problem,” added Neighborhood Watch Captain Cameron Cooper.
People here say the encampments have had a negative impact on their homes and businesses. One said a fire at the camp earlier this year damaged its medical building and forced it to close for two weeks.
Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky, who represents District 5, said the cleanups are a short-term measure to help residents as the city works to provide temporary and possibly permanent supportive housing. He added that forcing the camps out would only shift the problem elsewhere.
“I live a short distance from this neighborhood with my family and my three children,” Yaroslavsky said. “The people here are not only my constituents, they are my neighbors, my friends.”
“My team has been working to bring more permanent temporary accommodation beds to the site. We are considering expediting city parcels, but it will take a few months,” he said.
Councilwoman Yaroslavsky told me that as the city builds more housing for the homeless, she is exploring motels and other temporary options.