More and more homeless camps are popping up on the beaches of Southern California
More and more homeless people are moving to the beaches of Playa Del Rey. Although the Supreme Court has ruled that states can clear these camps, more and more seem to be springing up.
LOS ANGELES – While officials in parts of Southern California are using their new power – granted to them by Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Supreme Court – to clear out homeless encampments, encampments on the beach in Playa del Rey are now growing rapidly. Locals say the measures are barely enforced, and they’re not happy about it.
“The camps are huge now,” says Lucy Han, founder of the nonprofit Friends of the Jungle. “They’re probably three tents long, so basically a house right on the beach.”
Along with the tents come garbage, drugs and even illegal fires that could be carried by gusty land winds to the bone-dry cliff.
“The homeless are pretty aggressive,” Han said. “One is on the side of the cliff throwing rocks at people. We’ve seen needles.”
Several people have also taken over an abandoned house on the beach and have been living there for several years.
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In June, the Supreme Court voted 6-3 to approve a measure allowing cities to fine people who sleep outside. In July, Newsom signed an executive order to clear homeless encampments in California. Since that order, the governor has also announced plans to strip state funding from cities and counties that don’t do enough to move people out of the encampments and into shelters.
On the beach, Han said, there is little control because the state, county and city are all involved. “Everyone is pointing the finger at each other as to who has the responsibility to prevent camps from being set up on the beach,” she said.
Katherine Seigmeth lives in Playa del Rey. She says she has “a lot of compassion and empathy” for the homeless, but “I don’t know what the answer is… I’m also confused because I know the state of California has allocated over $3 billion for the homeless. Where did the money go and what was done with it?”
Los Angeles City Councilwoman Traci Park has been outspoken about the camps in her district since Newsom’s order and has already named several camps in Pacific Palisades and Del Rey that she has called on the state to clear.
She tells FOX 11 she has also reached out to the state. In a statement to FOX 11, Park said, “Our beaches are legally complex and involve the state, county and city. A coordinated operation is planned for the area Thursday morning, which will also involve our Coastal CARE+ team – a new resource we have secured in our city budget for our beach and coastal communities. I have called on the state and county to step up and offer long-term solutions rather than band-aids to address this and other state and county-owned or managed sites throughout CD11.”
