This morning I woke up to sirens on the boardwalk. An encampment fire spread to an adjacent building, engulfing it in flames. This is the same encampment I messaged you about in October where firefighters put out another fire and urged my neighbor who took the video to "Call your Councilperson." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSvx8W8K3ps 

Councilman Bonin did not listen. Instead of resuming the comprehensive cleanups that used to happen every Friday before the pandemic began, he implemented a "voluntary cleanup" program where people in the encampments only give up what they want to get rid of. In my observation the camps are virtually unchanged. Yesterday Councilman Bonin introduced a motion to make the voluntary cleanup pilot permanent https://patch.com/california/venice/bonin-raman-motion-replace-encampment-cleanups I think this is an issue that needs community input. 

Here's Mike Bonin's email: mike.bonin@lacity.org and his Venice Deputy: nisa.kove@lacity.org and his phone number 213-444-3508 Reach out to them, reach out to anyone who will listen.

To be clear, I do not want being homeless to be treated as a crime or for camps to simply be pushed elsewhere. I want the city to provide real help and not leave unhoused people living in dangerous living circumstances. We have seen a surge in fires and crime in this area as the city does nothing to provide safety for the unhoused or housed. Please keep advocating in whatever way you can.