Los Angeles City Council members voted to eliminate anti-homeless camping protections in 12 designated zones within Council District 13, a move that has drawn fierce backlash from residents concerned about a resurgence of encampments, crime, and fires in public spaces.
The 10-3 vote on Tuesday stripped away protections under Section 41.18 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code, which prohibits sitting, sleeping, lying down, or storing belongings in specific public locations. Councilman Hugo Soto-Martínez, who has long opposed the law, successfully pushed for the repeal, arguing that the restrictions merely displace homeless individuals and make it harder for the city to assist them.
"In most cases, it makes it much harder for us to help them because they lose their belongings, they get fined, and many times they are arrested," Soto-Martínez stated.
However, residents and park advocates argue that the rollback is a dangerous experiment that risks undoing years of work to clear public spaces. They point to areas like Barnsdall Art Park, a senior center, and Echo Park Lake, where they say unchecked encampments previously led to significant problems.
Jordan Miralles, a resident near Echo Park Lake, expressed concern over the potential deterioration of the park. "You couldn’t walk through the park. There was garbage everywhere. They just reconstructed the park. Why would Los Angeles pour money into restoring public spaces only to watch conditions deteriorate again?" he questioned.
Barnsdall Art Park, home to Frank Lloyd Wright's Hollyhock House, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is among the locations losing protections. The Barnsdall Art Park Foundation warned in a letter that before the 41.18 restrictions were imposed in 2021, the park experienced "serious encampment issues" including blocked access and fires. The foundation noted that millions have been spent restoring the property, and city departments already lack resources to address potential new safety concerns.
Residents near the Las Palmas Senior Citizen Center in Hollywood also voiced fears of returning conditions they endured during the pandemic, citing violence, drug use, fires, and noise. "Over the past year, 41.18 has provided a critically needed tool to enforce anti-camping at the Las Palmas Senior Center," wrote resident Ryan Bonnell, stating the restriction helped maintain the facility as a "safe gathering spot for senior citizens."
The fears are particularly acute in Echo Park, which became a focal point of the city's homelessness crisis in early 2021 when a large encampment surrounded the lake, leading to the park's temporary closure for a cleanup. Residents now fear a return to those conditions.
The decision has also drawn criticism from other council members. Traci Park, Imelda Padilla, and Monica Rodriguez were the only three to vote against the repeal. Councilmember Park argued that the council is dismantling an effective tool that her district has used to manage encampments, stating, "These protections need to be expanded citywide. We should not be rolling back commonplace regulations that keep kids and vulnerable people safe around our daycares, libraries and local parks."
The issue has also become a point of contention in the city's mayoral race, with incumbent Mayor Karen Bass supporting the use of Section 41.18 as an enforcement tool, while challenger Nithya Raman has opposed its expansion and voted to repeal it in Soto-Martínez’s district.
Signs indicating the restricted zones under Section 41.18 were still in place as of the latest update.