City crews Tuesday began to clean up a large homeless encampment that has long been a problem for a South Los Angeles community.
The encampment along the 110 Freeway between 87th and 88th streets got worse over time after tents began showing up.
As crews removed tents and trash as well as other hazardous debris, Caltrans declared the area to be unsafe.
“What we are trying to do is (to) bring the services that are needed to these individuals to identify what those needs are, healthy, housing and social services,” said Lauren Wonder with Caltrans.
Once the tents and trash were removed, crews planned to install boulders to deter homeless people from moving back to the area.
As the clean-up was part of California’s SAFE task force, a coordinated effort between the state and local governments to address homelessness.
One of the people who lived in the encampment said he was offered housing services through the city’s Inside Safe program. City officials also said they are housing everyone who used to live in the encampment.
The task force’s work is far from being complete as the city identified another encampment on the other side of the 110 Freeway near Manchester Avenue.
“As we came out to resolve that, we saw this one, and we knew that we had to 100% resolve this as well,” said Annetta Kidane, senior director of Inside Safe.
For residents who have lived with the encampment in their neighborhood and trash that came with it, they hoped the homeless will find housing without having to return to the area.
“I’m so glad that they finally looked over here and saw what we were going through, what we deal with every day,” a neighbor said.
Allison Craig is a passionate sports writer and analyst with a deep love for game strategies, player performances, and the latest trends in the sports world. With years of experience covering football, basketball, tennis, and more, she delivers insightful analysis and engaging content for sports enthusiasts.
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