Homeless encampment in Hollywood cleared as part of Inside Safe; 20 people to be moved to motels

HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- City workers spent Tuesday morning clearing a homeless encampment in Hollywood, marking the 55th Inside Safe operation in Los Angeles.

The encampment sat just outside the Department of Water and Power building near Yucca Street and Argyle Avenue, just south of the 101 Freeway. An encampment located under an overpass was also cleared.

About 20 people will be moved into nearby motels.

The people who were living at the encampment outside the DWP building said they were notified days ago that city workers would be back to help them pack and move.

Some of them said they felt optimistic, hoping for a fresh start.

"It's going to be easier to work because it's hard to not have like ... you go to work because you can't charge your phone on the regular so you can't have an alarm set on the regular, have GPS to get to the places you need to get to," said Anthony Sweatt, who was one of the dozens of people living in the encampment.

Tuesday's Inside Safe operation comes one day after several Hollywood business owners expressed frustration over the removal of planter boxes aimed at deterring homeless encampments in the area.

The city says businesses installed those planters without a permit, but owners say they were forced to take matters into their own hands after their complaints fell on deaf ears. The planters along Sunset Boulevard were removed Monday.

A representative from City Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez's office said the planters were removed since there were no permits for them. He also says the people who lived there were moved because of the Inside Safe program.

Inside Safe operations are completed in collaboration with members of the L.A. City Council, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors, L.A. Homeless Services Authority, and other service providers.