Bass says more homeless encampments will disappear from Hollywood

HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass addressed Hollywood stakeholders about homelessness at the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Mayoral Luncheon.

"Over the next month or so, you will see a lot of the bigger encampments in Hollywood go away," Bass said.

More than 10 million people visit the Hollywood Walk of Fame every year, according to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.

"We see both businesses coming into Hollywood, but a lot of businesses are leaving," said Steven Nissen, president and CEO of the chamber.

And it's not just tourists that businesses are paying attention to.

Pantages Theatre president Jeff Loeb says 95% of its customers are Angelenos.

"If you're an Angeleno, you come to Hollywood, you come to the Pantages. You come to the restaurants around us," Loeb said.

"We need to pay special attention to Hollywood because it's an economic driver for the entire city and indeed, the entire region," Nissen said.

In 2022, Starbucks at Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street shut down due to a rise in crime. A massive homeless encampment next to the Fonda Theater was removed and replaced with planters after multiple tent fires broke out.

Bass told stakeholders that she supports businesses taking action when confronted by encampments.

Bass noted that her office is still working aggressively on the Inside Safe program, which uses vacant hotel and motel rooms for temporary housing.

Bass also mentioned that the large encampment outside Sunset Sound on Sunset Boulevard will be next.

"Until we come up with a more cost-effective way of getting people off the streets, I'm going to continue to use motels even though they're expensive," Bass said.