By JOSE HERRERA | City News Service
The Los Angeles City Council directed various city departments on Wednesday, April 12, to conduct a review of the effectiveness and financial cost of the city’s anti-camping law aimed at restricting the location of homeless encampments.
A motion presented by council members Katy Yaroslavksy and Curren Price and approved unanimously calls for a report on the application, enforcement and effectiveness of the law, known as section 41.18, which bans sitting, sleeping and storing property near an estimated 2,000 designated sites in the city.
“I understand that this is a sensitive issue, and I respect that each one of us has different opinions on the use of 41.18 as a tool in our efforts to end homelessness,” Yaroslavksy said. “I’ve stated before that I agree there are certain locations such as school and daycare centers that should be covered by the law.
“There are some who believe we should go further and some who believe that those sites shouldn’t exist at all. But while our opinions on 41.18 may differ, the means by which we enforce them should not.”
Shortly after the city passed 41.18, the council approved the Street Engagement Strategy, a component of the outreach engagement framework, which outlined required steps prior to the enforcement of the law. The Street Engagement Strategy offered an opportunity for the city and its partners to provide housing resources to individuals impacted by the law, though its effectiveness has not yet been fully analyzed.
Related: LA Mayor Bass’ team is on track to house 4,000 homeless Angelenos by next week
Yaroslavksy said the motion would “shine a light” on how the enforcement of 41.18 has been carried out by requesting a report on several key metrics of the law including, but not limited to, a breakdown of the total cost of enforcement with details on the staff cost, and the price of anti-camping signage, which she noted has cost the city several million…
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