Mayor Karen Bass addresses growing encampment on LA-Beverly Hills border
A homeless encampment along Los Angeles' San Vicente Boulevard, across the street from Beverly Hills, has garnered the attention of Mayor Karen Bass as residents claim that the situation has progressively worsened.
"It's getting worse and worse and nothing has been done so far," said Beverly Hills resident Joseph Saghian, who lives in a building across the street from the encampment. "From my balcony, I've seen constantly — constantly that they are doing drugs, selling drugs and more than that, it's become a bathroom."
The encampment lies in Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky's District 5. The newly-elected councilmember said that her district does not have enough beds for the unhoused living there. Bass admitted there's a roadblock on KNX Newsradio
"I'm working on that with her because I'm very concerned about San Vicente and San Vicente is a high priority to me," said Mayor Karen Bass. "But the problem that we're having is finding the interim housing that's affordable in her district. Katy and I are working on it and we believe we'll get it solved within hopefully a week or two."
Bass pledged to house people on the streets near the places they camp as part of her Inside Safe Program. However, as time passes, tensions have continued to mount.
"We pay high, high prices on our rents and it's worse and worse by the day," said one woman, who owns a nearby business. "I expect more from the Mayor's office. She declared a state of emergency... What are they doing to help the owners? We pay the taxes! This is not acceptable in the United States of America.
A woman, who did not want to share her name, said she's been living on the streets in L.A. for two years. She said waiting for the city or county to place her in housing.
"It's messed up when there's places we could go but we're not there," she said. "There are solutions to the problem... I had hotels or whatever for a while, or you stay in someone's house for a month and they steal all your stuff and your hands are tied."
Bass has been able to clear big encampments in other areas, however, as Yaroslavsky stated her district lacks the adequate amount of beds.
