The Los Angeles Times: L.A. is swamped with 311 complaints over homeless camps. But are the cleanups pointless?

Photo Credit: Alex Datig

By EMILY ALPERT REYES, BENJAMIN ORESKES and DOUG SMITH
JUN 07, 2019

...Los Angeles has been deluged with requests to clean up homeless encampments in recent years. Between 2016 and 2018, such requests shot up 167%, according to a Times analysis of 311 data. The trend has continued this year, with requests up 37% in the first few months compared with the same period a year earlier.

The surge in cleanup requests has happened as L.A. and other cities have seen hefty increases in the number of people without permanent shelter. The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority announced Tuesday that the homeless population had jumped by 16% in the city and 12% across the county. Most — 75% — were living outdoors, including in vehicles.

More