Los Angeles City Council votes to rescind encampment bans in some areas
Camping bans that were put in place in parts of L.A. are now being lifted.
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Camping bans that were put in place in parts of Hollywood, Echo Park and Silver Lake are now being lifted.
The Los Angeles City Council this week voted to remove homeless camping bans at 12 sites in Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez's district, approving a proposal that sparked debate among council members over the city's approach to homelessness.
The discussion centered on the city's Section 41.18 ordinance, which allows restrictions on homeless encampments in specific areas.
Since 2021, the council has banned encampments in zones near locations including libraries, senior centers and freeway overpasses, as well as discretionary zones that are considered sensitive sites.
Soto-Martinez sought council approval to remove camping bans at 12 sites in Echo Park, Silver Lake and Hollywood that had been designated by the previous council member representing the district.
"What we found was that in my district, 96% of the people we spoke to either agreed with removing the zones, or had no opinions on the matter," Soto-Martinez said.
During the debate, council members expressed sharply differing views on the effectiveness of Section 41.18 restrictions.
Councilmember Traci Park argued that camping bans should be more broadly applied around sensitive locations, saying, "41:18 should be mandated around sensitive sites ... all of them."
Park also pointed to efforts in Venice Beach in 2021, when Sheriff Alex Villanueva cleared a large encampment in the area.
"Once the encampment was gone, I secured 4,118 enforcement for that area to prevent the problem from recurring. And guess what? It worked," Park said.
Soto-Martinez criticized the strategy of removing encampments, arguing that it does not address the underlying housing needs of people experiencing homelessness.
"Displacing our neighbors from block to block, or in many cases from district to district, doesn't help them find housing," he said.
The council approved the request in a 10-3 vote. The action applies only to the 12 designated zones within Soto-Martinez's district and does not affect encampment restrictions in other parts of Los Angeles.
