LA Council to review homeless anti-camping law

The Los Angeles City Council is reviewing the effectiveness and cost of the city's anti-camping law, intended to curb homeless encampments.

The law bans sitting, sleeping, and storing property near an estimated 2,000, very detailed, designated sites in the city from fire hydrants, parks and libraries to freeway ramps and bike paths.

Shortly after the city passed the anti-camping law, the council approved the Street Engagement Strategy, a required approach to first engage those on the streets by providing options such as available housing resources before enforcing the law.

Council members are looking into how the enforcement of the law has been carried out, including staffing costs and anti-camping signage costs.

"The reality is that we don't have a clearer picture as to how 41.18 (anti-camping law), specifically as it relates to individual sites determined through council motion, has been applied and whether or not its reducing homelessness. That is a problem," Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky said.

The law prohibits sitting, sleeping, lying and storing personal property within two feet of any fire hydrant or fire plug; within five feet of any operational or utilizable entrance or exit; within 10 feet of a loading dock or driveway; in a manner that interferes with any activity for which the city has issued a permit or restricts accessible passage as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act; or anywhere within a street, including bike paths.

The law also prohibits encampments within 500 feet of a "sensitive" facility including schools, day care facilities, parks and libraries.

Other affected areas include:

   -- within 500 feet of a designated overpass, underpass, freeway ramp, tunnel, bridge, pedestrian bridge, subway, wash or spreading ground, railroad track or where lodging unsheltered or in tents is unhealthy, unsafe and incompatible with safe passage

   -- within 1,000 feet of a facility opened after Jan. 1, 2018, that provides shelter, safe sleeping, safe parking or navigation centers for people experiencing homelessness.

The ordinance allows the city to prevent encampments for a period of no longer than one year in areas that are deemed an ongoing threat to public health or safety, including due to:

   -- death or serious bodily injury of any person at the location due to a hazardous condition;

   -- repeated serious or violent crimes or threats of serious or violent crimes, including human trafficking; and fires at the location.