Councilmen Allege Neighboring Cities Push Homeless Population Into LA by Illegally Barring Them From Public Camping

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA)— Two Los Angeles councilmen asked Wednesday for a report on whether neighboring communities are illegally barring homeless people from camping in public areas, pushing them into L.A.

The motion by councilmen Mike Bonin and Joe Buscaino came a day after the release of numbers showing the city's homeless population had risen 16 percent since 2018.

The councilmen contend in the motion that some homeless people living in Los Angeles have reported that "they are forbidden by police in neighboring cities from sleeping on sidewalks there, and are directed to Los Angeles sidewalks."

"It is maddening to hear reports from un-housed neighbors about how they are forbidden by police in neighboring cities from sleeping on sidewalks there and are directed to Los Angeles sidewalks," Bonin said in a statement. "This is unfair and unjust and results in neighbors in Los Angeles being asked to bear the burden of solving homelessness for the entire region. Homelessness is not a problem that can be solved by pushing people into another neighborhood. We need to be on the same page as our neighbors and working collaboratively and collectively toward sustainable solutions to this urgent crisis."

The motion asks the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority and the city attorney to report on whether neighboring communities are complying with a federal ruling that allows homeless people to camp on public property when no other adequate shelter is provided. The councilmen further requested that the city attorney report on legal steps the city can take to ensure area municipalities comply with the ruling.

The proposal is expected to be heard by the council's Homelessness and Poverty Committee in the coming weeks.

(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)