LA's Homeless RV Sweeps Give People No Place to Go

Today wasn't Michael's first encounter with a homeless sweep in Los Angeles. But today was different. The RV that he calls home wouldn't start. With the LAPD and LA Sanitation closing in, the threat of losing everything he owned loomed large.

Councilwoman Traci Park of Los Angeles has taken a hard stance, consistently pushing for the removal of homeless RVs in Council District 11. While she champions this cause, she simultaneously delays housing solutions for the homeless in Venice.

We've previously covered homeless RV sweeps at Ballona Wetlands:    • Women Scramble to Save Belongings from RV ...  

No one wishes to see homeless encampments or RVs lining the streets. But displacing homeless people without offering substantial support isn't the answer. It merely shifts the problem and burdens taxpayers without providing real solutions.

Politicians often claim that they offer the homeless shelter beds, hotels, or housing. However, the stark reality is that many are simply placed on waiting lists. When a bed does become available, it's often due to political pressure, not a system that works. Those who have waited for months, including the disabled, are left out in the cold so politicians can tout their "success" stories.

Los Angeles is in dire need of shelters and housing solutions. Of the 50,000 homeless individuals in the city, Mayor Bass' "Inside Safe" program managed to house only 1,300 in half a year. Astonishingly, recent data reveals that the Inside Safe program's hotel accommodations cost an exorbitant $17K per person per month. To put it into perspective, the entire county only has about 16,000 shelter beds.

Statistics paint a worrying picture: for every 100% rise in median rent, there's a 9% increase in homelessness. As these numbers swell, Los Angeles's strategy of out-of-sight, out-of-mind will only exacerbate the crisis.

If you live in Los Angeles, here is a link for the City Council contact information broken down by district. Please reach out to your legislators to demand they stop the sweeps. https://lacity.gov/directory

Nationally, please support Housing Not Handcuffs https://housingnothandcuffs.org

More stories:

Women Scramble to Save Belongings from RV Homeless Sweep    • Women Scramble to Save Belongings from RV ...  

Los Angeles Homeless Sweeps    • Los Angeles Homeless Sweeps  

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About Invisible People

There is a direct correlation between what the general public perceives about homelessness and how it affects policy change. Most people blame homelessness on the person experiencing it instead of the increasing shortage of affordable housing, lack of employment, childhood trauma, lack of a living wage, or the countless reasons that put a person at risk. This lack of understanding creates a dangerous cycle of misperception that leads to the inability to effectively address the root causes of homelessness.

We imagine a world where everyone has a place to call home. Each day, we work to fight homelessness by giving it a face while educating individuals about the systemic issues that contribute to its existence. Through storytelling, education, news, and activism, we are changing the narrative on homelessness.

This isn’t just talk. Our groundbreaking educational content reaches millions of people every month. Our real and unfiltered stories of homelessness shatter stereotypes, demand attention and deliver a call-to-action that is being answered by governments, major brands, nonprofit organizations, and everyday citizens just like you.

However, there is more work to be done on the road ahead. Homelessness is undoubtedly one of our biggest societal issues today and will only continue to grow if we don’t take action now.

Invisible People is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to educating the public about homelessness through innovative storytelling, news, and advocacy. Since our launch in 2008, Invisible People has become a pioneer and trusted resource for inspiring action and raising awareness in support of advocacy, policy change and thoughtful dialogue around poverty in North America and the United Kingdom.