The sheriff’s department is expected to move in this weekend, ahead of Villanueva’s July 4 deadline.Lesser known than the Lido and Pellestrina, but still only an hour away by vaporetto from the center, the Spiaggia del Bacan is a favorite among Venetians, who escape there to enjoy sunny days and some fun away from the canals and crowds. Unhoused advocates will likely show up on Friday as the city starts sanitation cleanups.
“You’ve got to take advantage of it,” he says. Jeremy Washington, who’s been homeless in South LA, showed up in Venice this week because he heard that the city would be offering people housing. The demand is probably going to exceed the supply. Others need temporary help with rent to get on their feet. Other people need permanent supportive housing, which is subsidized apartments for people with physical disabilities or mental illness. He is one of many who do not own a sleeping tent. Levi Walls, an unhoused man, sits along the boardwalk in Venice Beach. “I used to build houses, you know, I used to have a life.” He says he would accept a hotel room in the meantime, though he’s wary about strict rules like curfews. Levi Walls, for example, wants a plane ticket back to his home state of Washington. Like most large encampments, people’s individual stories and needs vary endlessly. What do unhoused people living on the boardwalk think about all of this? Honest lady that Venice Beach, CA, has abused." June 29, 2021. Photo by Zaydee Sanchez for KCRW.Īlong the Venice boardwalk, a tent reads, "I am a heartbroken retired teacher and chef. Job loss left them no choice but to sleep on the boardwalk. And it's a concern because the unhoused people have been hurting for a long, long time.”ĭixie and her boyfriend Brian (they didn’t want to share last names) have been living on the Venice boardwalk since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. “You see them with their guns on their sides, it’s intimidation. “This is all about intimidation,” says Carlos Maroquinn, a community organizer and homeless advocate. The city is planning to start sanitation cleanups along the boardwalk on Friday, and people will have to move their tents and belongings.Ī lieutenant with the LASD’s homeless outreach team says they’re not planning enforcement actions, but some homeless advocates don’t believe them. Garcetti says that 54 people have been moved indoors in the last couple of weeks. Photo by Zaydee Sanchez for KCRW.Īt the Venice Beach parking lot, Mayor Garcetti speaks with LAPD officers after he was given a tour of homeless encampments along the boardwalk. The young man in the white t-shirt later says, "I don't support that man." June 29, 2021. Photo by Zaydee Sanchez for KCRW.Īs Mayor Garcetti walks down the Venice Beach boardwalk, a young couple sitting on the bench point and recognize the mayor. Mayor Garcetti takes a stroll down the Venice Beach boardwalk addressing the current homeless issue. But I'm not interested in yelling about this and pointing fingers. “They’ve got to see the mayor out here doing that work. “People have got to know what I'm doing,” he says. He also took a drive with LAPD officers who briefed him on public safety issues, and got yelled at by passersby while walking the boardwalk. Joseph Center, which is leading the outreach to house people. LA Mayor Eric Garcetti visited the boardwalk on Tuesday. LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva has also vowed to remove encampments from the boardwalk by July 4. This week, LA City Councilmember Mike Bonin started a plan to clear the area of tents and move approximately 200 living by the boardwalk to hotels over the next month and a half, and then to permanent housing. These complaints are spurring politicians to take action. Photo by Zaydee Sanchez for KCRW.Īn unhoused man repairs his bike along the Venice bike path. Paul McCrory, an unhoused man, rests on his tent as the morning begins. “The customers feel so uncomfortable, they decide to leave and go somewhere else.” “On a daily basis, we'll have homeless people walk into the bar trying to use our restrooms, causing problems in the bar,” says Mark Van Gessel, who owns Hinano Cafe near the south end of the boardwalk. Now there’s extra pressure as pandemic restrictions are lifted and tourists are back. Nearby residents and business owners have been angry and concerned about public safety. During the pandemic, hundreds of unhoused people set up camp along the boardwalk.
Venice Beach is the latest flashpoint in LA’s homelessness crisis.
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