L.A.'s elected officials see the shutdown of an Echo Park encampment as a success. The homeless people who ended up in hotels don’t agree.Advertisement
Sacramento City Council Member Katie Valenzuela moved quickly to hammer out a deal with Caltrans to use a parking lot alongside Highway 50 for the safe ground. “It’s really important that we honor that,” said Valenzuela, whose background is in community organizing. “These are the only folks that they feel safe around, that they’ve established a routine with, and so we didn’t want to break that up. And also, just from a practical aspect, they’ve formed sort of natural COVID pods.”In the short time that the safe ground has been open, at least 85 people have moved in, pitching tents and parking their vehicles and RVs.
I have to think more people would’ve agreed to go and wouldn’t have as many qualms about staying. That’s because homeless people don’t just want housing They want homes. They want community — just like we all do.
Give them safe shelter?