One person living in a tent next to the public swimming pool in Westchester, was operating a bike chop shop. The new law would prohibit camping in public places, if shelter has been offered.
(Editor’s note: Circling the News received the following letter/information and is sharing it with residents.)
Hello CD11 Neighborhood/Community Councils,
Buscaino’s Anti-Camping ballot initiative motion will be voted on 10 a.m., tomorrow, November 23. We need City Council to approve this motion which prohibits camping in all public areas if shelter is offered. See instructions below for how to call in or write in.
How can you make your voice heard?
The best way to make your voice heard is to call into the City Council meeting taking place next Tuesday, November 23 at 10 a.m. To do so, call 1 (669) 254-5252 and use Meeting ID No. 160 535 8466 and then press #. Press # again when prompted for participant ID. Once admitted into the meeting, press *9 to request to speak.
You will have one minute to speak on the Safer and Cleaner LA Ballot Measure motion, Item 22 on the agenda, plus an additional minute to make General Public Comment should you wish.
You can also provide written support at any time through the Council File Management System. Click this link to be taken to the public comment page for the Safer and Cleaner LA Ballot Measure motion CF#21-1300-S1.
What is the Proposed Ballot Measure?
If approved by voters, the ballot measure would create a Safer and Cleaner Los Angeles by requiring the City to build enough emergency housing to take everyone off the street, offer them necessary services, and ban camping on public spaces.
The ballot measure is broken down into three main parts:
- Safety: Create a citywide ordinance that would prohibit camping in all public areas if temporary housing is available and offered – prioritizing safe, accessible, and passable sidewalks.
- Rapid Response: Require the City to prioritize providing more immediate, emergency housing and services, instead of the existing time-consuming and costly homeless housing development process.
- Cutting Red Tape: Provide the mayor with authority to cut red tape and urgently site emergency homeless housing, in order to house as many people as quickly as possible.
The full text of the motion detailing the general framework of the Safer and Cleaner LA Ballot Measure can be read here.
Why is your voice so important?
The deadlines for placing an item on a ballot are strict and happen well in advance of an election. If the Council does not approve this motion, we may not be able to meet the deadlines to place the homelessness measure on the ballot for the June 2022 election.
Councilman Buscaino strongly believes that solutions surrounding the ballooning homelessness problem in the City of Los Angeles cannot wait, and the status quo is not working.
What are the next steps?
For now, we are simply asking for your voice so that the motion, which will request the Los Angeles City Attorney to prepare the necessary documents for a ballot measure, passes on Tuesday. This will preserve the opportunity for a June 2022 ballot measure initiated by the City Council. If the motion is approved next week, please note that more details, information, and Council votes are to come.
Who can you contact if you have further questions?
Please feel free to call the Office of Councilman Joe Buscaino at (213) 473-7015. Or, you may email Council District 15’s legislative team at Dennis.Gleason@lacity.org or Laura.Hill@lacity.org.
I support anti camping