Homelessness has recently increased more in the city of Los Angeles. According to an article from the Los Angeles Times by the Times Editorial Board it states, “The $1.2-billion homeless housing bond program has become a convenient scapegoat for the city’s inability to get unhoused people off the streets.” More housing must be built so there can be a big difference with the homeless people on the streets. A Los Angeles Times article said, “It can take two to three years for affordable housing developers.” Cities need to build housing faster and cheaper. 

Many homeless people stay at beaches overnight and are causing problems. Danielle Wallace from Fox News said, “Residents warned city leadership they could be liable for multimillion-dollar lawsuit payouts for not enforcing laws banning overnight homeless encampments.” One city that has experienced problems attributed to the homeless population in LA is Venice Beach. In an article on Fox News Mark Ryavec said, “It’s illegal to camp on Venice Beach.” Some of the issues plaguing the Venice Beach community include homeless people getting caught trashing the beaches, and sleeping on basketball courts. Ryavec stated the homeless were caught, “Allegedly lighting fire to 15 trash cans along the boardwalk overnight and setting a cardboard box on fire, and destroying a park bench.” More than 200 homeless people were cleared off of Venice Beach, but some still remain.

The homeless people on the streets are making people in the community angry. According to an article from KTLA News the Associated Press stated, “Still, the government’s inability to clear encampments from streets, parks, and sidewalks has left voters angry and frustrated.” Others around the community are becoming upset with the homeless people and open drug peddling.  “Many are drug addicted or mentally ill, and violence is commonplace.” The homeless crisis has deepened over many years and many people are losing their lives. An NBC News article by Alicia Lozano caught up with a Marine Corps Veteran Garnett, who lit incense as an offering to his neighbors and prays for them. Garnett said, “There are a lot of people dying in these streets.”

Los Angeles is planning to build more units to get the homeless off the streets. Carlos Granda, from ABC7 News said, “The city will spend up to $3 billion over the next five years to develop as many as 16,000 beds or housing units for the homeless.” People in the communities are protesting to get homeless off the streets, but not all homeless people are accepting the housing that is being offered. Los Angeles has had a couple clean ups to get the homeless off the street and keep the people happy. In Little Tokyo the large homeless encampment has been cleared and fenced up.