The city is planning to remove the hundreds of public toilets and hand-washing stations installed during the pandemic. But the need for them isn't going away.
Without access to public toilets, writes the Los Angeles Times editorial board, "the unhoused have no choice but to carry out their most necessary and private of bodily functions on public streets and sidewalks." Thus, the city should continue its efforts to provide adequate public bathrooms for its unhoused population.
"A 2017 study of bathroom availability found that the number of toilets available to 1,800 homeless people on skid row at night — nine — was fewer than the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ standard of one toilet for every 20 people in a refugee camp." Yet, despite installing 363 hand-washing stations and 182 portable toilets during the COVID-19 pandemic, the city is now removing all of them, citing concerns about safety and vandalism.
"The city insists that these installations were only intended to stay in place during the height of the pandemic as a public health measure. But COVID-19 is still a danger to the homeless population." Not to mention the fact that the need for toilets isn't going anywhere after the pandemic.
We get it. Bathrooms are complicated. They get vandalized. What the city doesn’t seem to get is how urgently they are needed. Apparently residents have complained about the porta-potties near encampments — as if the sight of them signals that the city has normalized the existence of homeless encampments. Not at all. It signals that the city thinks it’s bad public health to normalize urinating and defecating on streets and sidewalks and in people’s yards. And that’s what happens when there isn’t enough housing and shelter and when there aren’t enough public bathrooms.
The board offers solutions including automated toilets that are more resistant to damage and vandalism and paying facilities like YMCA centers and churches to make their bathrooms available to unhoused people. As far as the remaining toilets at encampments, the board writes, "let them stay there — until the city actually comes up with another viable plan for how to get people to a bathroom."
FULL STORY: L.A. shouldn’t remove portable toilets from homeless encampments
Extreme Heat Responsible for Growing Death Rates Among Unhoused People
Extreme heat events like the ‘heat dome’ that baked Southern California last summer kill a disproportionate number of people experiencing homelessness, who have fewer resources to protect themselves from the scorching sun.
Hepatitis A Outbreak in Philadelphia Leaves City Scrambling
Philadelphia isn't the first city to deal with a Hepatitis A outbreak after wavering on the question of whether to deploy public bathrooms and hygiene stations
Bad News for L.A.'s Homelessness Strategy: Public Restroom Plan Falls Apart
The city's failure to deliver public restrooms is not the first sign of trouble for its sweeping homelessness plan, but it’s a painful one for the residents of Skid Row.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.
As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?
With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.
With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike
For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.
In More Metros Than You’d Think, Suburbs are Now More Expensive Than the City
If you're moving to the burbs to save on square footage, data shows you should think again.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)