A new Inside Safe operation has been launched in Hollywood, while Los Angeles officials began cleaning up a tent encampment near the Venice canals Wednesday in the latest efforts to combat the city’s homelessness crisis.
Mayor Karen Bass’s office partnered with Councilman Hugo Soto-MartÃnez, whose 13th District includes areas of Hollywood, and L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, on the latest Inside Safe operation.
“Inside Safe is a real solution that saves lives and supports communities,” Bass said in a statement. “I want to thank Supervisor Horvath and Councilman Soto-MartÃnez for partnering with us to bring people inside and express my appreciation to council member Soto-MartÃnez for his commitment to urgently addressing the homelessness crisis by passing a budget that reflects our shared values.”
Tuesday’s operation took place on El Centro Avenue off Hollywood Boulevard. According to Soto-Martinez’s office, the encampment was one of the “most challenging” and one of the largest encampments in the 13th District.
Thirty-two unhoused Angelenos were brought inside to various hotels in Hollywood, officials said. The councilman’s office said they could not disclose the names of those hotels, citing a need to protect the privacy of the individuals.
“This was a challenging encampment and addressing it has been a top priority in our office in partnership with Hollywood residents and businesses,” Soto-MartÃnez said.
The councilman said Hollywood still needs more resources to address the homelessness crisis.
“Because of the coordination and weeks of outreach by our team, the mayor’s office, Supervisor Horvath’s team, and service providers, dozens of people will be able to have the comfort and security of a roof over their heads tonight, and are on the path to permanent housing,” he added.
Los Angeles officials approved an unprecedented $1.3 billion to address housing and homelessness in the city’s 2023-24 budget. The budget funds $250 million for the mayor’s Inside Safe program.
“That unprecedented funding will be key to scaling up the Inside Safe program as we continue to house Angelenos in Hollywood and throughout Los Angeles,” Bass said.
Horvath said in a statement that the county is “here to support every effort to bring unhoused Angelenos inside safety.” She noted that multiple county departments, county-funded rental subsidies, outreach teams, housing navigators and mental health clinicians are “part of every Inside Safe action.”
The new Hollywood effort is the 19th Inside Safe encampment operation throughout Los Angeles. The mayor’s office says more than 1,300 Angelenos have been brought inside through the program.
Meanwhile, an encampment near Venice Boulevard and Dell Avenue was being cleared on Wednesday in a separate effort that is not part of the Inside Safe program.
People living in tents in the area were told they needed to be moved by 6 a.m., according to multiple media reports.
“Since taking office, my team and I have been working with local residents to fulfill a longtime community wish — the beautification of the parkway along Venice Boulevard at Dell Avenue, which serves as gateway to Venice Beach for local residents and all of Los Angeles,” Councilwoman Traci Park said Wednesday in a statement posted on Facebook.
“Leading up to this work, which starts tomorrow, we have been actively working to bring the individuals living at this site safely indoors in partnership with CIRCLE, LAHSA, St. Joseph and SHARE. This is in addition to a CARE+ service day to restore public health, safety and accessibility along this important thoroughfare.
“We will continue our tireless work to bring people indoors.”