LA City Council To Vote On Revisions To Homeless Encampments Ban
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The Los Angeles City Council will vote Friday on proposed revisions to a law that bans transients from setting up homeless encampments and storing property in public areas.
The current law, which was adopted last summer, prohibits transients from setting up tents and other living spaces between the hours of 6 a.m. and 9 p.m.
Under the proposed revisions, if the city is unable to provide adequate storage space nearby, or offer subsidized transportation to a storage area, homeless individuals would be allowed to store a 60-gallon bin worth of belongings -- including deconstructed tents, bedding, clothes, food, medicine, documents and other personal items -- on a sidewalk.
The revised ordinance would still allow city officials to impound property that is left unattended and any property that is in excess of 60-gallons.
Any transients who refuse to take down their encampments, or prevents a city official from doing so, would be acting unlawfully under the revised law.
City officials explained the revisions aim to give the city a way to keep sidewalks clear and accessible while allowing transients to keep some belongings if there are no other places to store them.
Revisions to the law were backed this week by the council's Homelessness and Poverty Committee.
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