LA has no plan — or funding — to help unhoused people displaced by Olympics security efforts

City and county officials say they don't have the funds to offer housing to the up to 1,600 people that will be displaced by perimeters around event venues.

1 minute read

August 13, 2026, 9:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum during the opening ceremonies of the 1984 Summer Olympic Games.

The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum during the opening of the 1984 Summer Olympics. | unknown, U.S. Air Force, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons

Los Angeles officials say they don't have a plan for assisting the hundreds of unhoused people that will likely be displaced by security arrangements for the 2028 Summer Olympics, which the city is hosting.

As Libby Rainey explains in LAist, "Exactly how many people might be forced out around venues is not yet clear. The plans will come down to security perimeters — zones around event sites established by the U.S. Secret Service." Brandon Dean, the chief of special operations for the L.A. County Sheriff's Department, said unhoused people would be ejected from security perimeters directly surrounding event venues. While these perimeters haven't yet been determined, officials say they've been told they could be as wide as a mile and could affect as many as 1,600 people.

The city and county say they do not yet have the funding, nor the plan, to address homelessness around Olympic venues. Unlike during the 1984 Olympics, when police on horseback evicted homeless individuals, officials say they plan to offer at least temporary housing. "But as of this month, there is no additional funding for such a project." Officials are asking the state and the Olympics organizing committee to help fund the effort, but neither have committed any funds. 

Tuesday, August 4, 2026 in LAist

Young Professional

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

Get top-rated, practical training for planners

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

September 23, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

Passengers board an Amtrak train under a cloudy sky.

Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement

The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.

September 18, 2026 - Mass Transit

An Airo train driving towards the camera on a track. There is a forest behind it.

Northwest rail fans eager for Sept. 30 debut of Amtrak’s Airo fleet

Get ready for that new train smell and more seats. But they won’t go faster or run more frequently on the Cascades route in Washington and Oregon.

September 22, 2026 - Washington State Standard

Four cars of the LAX SkyLink. They are white, and there is no clear front or back. They have black windows.

LAX SkyLink opening delayed again, contractor won’t commit to new deadline

The project was supposed to open its doors to the public in 2023.

September 27 - LA Times

A Caltrain train picks up a large crowd of people at a station.

Caltrain may slash over one-third of its stations

If Bay Area voters reject two transit tax measures, Caltrain, BART and AC Transit will see steep service cuts.

September 27 - Mercury News

An aerial view of Interstate 77 crossing a body of water.

A 'dangerous' precedent: North Carolina successfully pressures communities into voting for toll roads

Two mayors resigned from the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization after it voted in favor of the toll roads.

September 27 - Spectrum Local News

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.

Senior Planner

City of Thousand Oaks

Community Development Director

City of Wisconsin Rapids

Professor of Urban Planning

Harvard University Graduate School of Design