As the city considers new ordinances making it easier for police to break up homeless camps, residents say forced displacement is already underway. Police deny an increase in homeless sweeps.

Aid groups for the destitute of Skid Row are concerned about a reported rise in homeless sweeps and property confiscation. "While city officials have been wrestling with new ordinances to make it easier to break up camps — first enacting them in July, then suspending enforcement while they consider modifications — police have been testing strategies for getting homeless people's property off the streets, the groups say."
One homeless man recalled an incident where "two 'officers' — employees of the local business improvement district — [...] pulled out a 'voluntary property release' form. Unsure if the black-shirted officers were police, Gabel said he felt intimidated and signed the form." The men then took away the bike parts he planned to sell.
Spokespeople for the police deny using more aggressive tactics on Skid Row. "LAPD Cmdr. Andy Smith said there has been no increase in homeless sweeps, and arrests for violations that typically target homeless people are down."
"[A police spokesperson] said police were trying to balance the needs of the homeless while ensuring the city is 'habitable.'" Habitability, of course, can easily be a code-word for the gentrification many see as inevitable for the area. In the words of one officer, "People pay a lot now to live here, they expect services from the city. You're kind of stuck in the middle, I know."
FULL STORY: LAPD denies increase in homeless sweeps; skid row advocates say otherwise

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

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

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.

Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.

Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding
The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.
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