Los Angeles leaders Monday called on the state to step in and help them clear homeless encampments on LA’s Westside.
“I’m pleased to hear from Governor Newsom is this commitment to getting it done, which in part is why we are reaching out to the state now and saying here are some locations,” Councilmember Traci Park, who represents City District 11, which includes West LA, the Pacific Palisades and Venice, said.
“If you want to clear encampments, let’s go. I think it’s really important, though, that the state understands they’re going to have to bring resources to these operations, too,” she added.
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Park also announced on social media that she is preparing a letter to send to the state of California, identifying homeless encampments in her district, requesting that the state help provide her with more resources in order to clear them.
Specifically, the Westside district has identified encampments in areas along the Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades and by the Ballona Wetlands off Lincoln Avenue and Culver Boulevard.
Governor Newsom issued an executive order last month to clear homeless encampments throughout the state, following a Supreme Court decision authorizing these clearings.
Newsom has since encouraged local leaders to apply for state funding dedicated to the homelessness crisis, but it is unclear what other assistance the state is offering beyond that.
While Newsom’s directive cannot force local authorities to clear encampments, his administration has the ability to pressure localities to act by withholding money.
