LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents

Los Angeles officials are not responding to requests from unhoused residents to provide trash services or restrooms for encampments, reports Elizabeth Chu in Los Angeles  Public Press. Meanwhile, law enforcement is cracking down on encampments, a move that advocates say only pushes people farther from services.

“Despite unhoused residents asking for basic hygienic services for years, funding for trash pickups, public showers and bathrooms is still not being prioritized in the city budget. There are only 14 permanent public restrooms in LA for a population of 4 million people. And the few hygiene and health services the city makes available to people who are unhoused continue to be under threat.”

Last month, the city ended a program that provided showers and toilets at encampment sites in favor of more punitive measures. Chou explains that the city does not commit ongoing funding to trash services for encampments, while the ‘CARE+’ sweeps program was allocated $70 million last year. Unhoused people and advocates argue that putting more resources toward regular trash service and ‘spot cleanings’ would ultimately save the city money and offer a more humane solution that doesn’t involve throwing away people’s belongings.