The Los Angeles City Council approved a motion banning homeless encampments in Westwood Park and four other locations Wednesday.
The ordinance – which was originally filed Oct. 5 by District 5 Councilmember Paul Koretz – previously included six locations, but one of the listed locations, 8580 Burton Way, was removed in an amendment Wednesday. District 5 includes UCLA, Westwood Village and the North Village, as well as other locations around West LA.
[Related: LA City Council files motion to enforce homelessness ordinance in Westwood]
The ordinance followed a previous city ordinance signed by Mayor Eric Garcetti in July banning individuals from sitting, lying, sleeping and storing property in most public areas.
If the new ordinance is signed by Garcetti, individuals experiencing homelessness at Westwood Park will face eviction if they refuse to accept city outreach – such as temporary housing and basic necessities – or leave the area.
Since the July ordinance took effect, the LA City Council has identified nearly 300 locations such as Westwood Park for enforcement, according to the Los Angeles Times. In each of these locations, individuals experiencing homelessness will be required to accept city shelter or leave within 14 days, the Times reported.
On Monday, county sheriff’s deputies used a bulldozer at the nearby Veterans Row to conduct a homeless encampment sweep, evicting residents and discarding their property. The people experiencing homelessness there – many of whom were veterans – had previously been informed of an upcoming encampment sweep, according to KTLA 5.
