(Los Angeles Times) – The Los Angeles City Council authorized a $3.7-million skid row cleanup planTuesday that will expand 24-hour bathroom access and expand storage to comply with a court injunction against destroying personal property homeless people keep in the streets.
Along with a stepped-up street cleaning schedule, the city will open a “valet cart storage” lot where homeless people can check their shopping baskets in for the day. A 90-day storage facility for homeless people east of Alameda Street will move into the heart of skid row, bathroom hours at three skid row shelters will be expanded and trash bins and pickups will be augmented.
An additional $5 million in Mayor Eric Garcetti’s proposed budget is set aside to duplicate the efforts in other parts of the city with homeless camps, potentially including Venice and South Los Angeles, City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana said.
The cleanup plan came in response to public health violations that emerged during the city’s long and unsuccessful legal battle against a court order preventing seizure of homeless people’s possessions. County health inspectors found the city had allowed human feces, rat infestations, syringes and other garbage to collect in the streets for two years running.