Clean Public Spaces for All

COVID-19 has affected the lives of millions of people worldwide and continues to be the leading factor in how we shape our decisions. 

When the Los Angeles City Council voted to halt CARE+ clean-ups citywide to ensure unsheltered residents could shelter in place, we supported the idea.  At the time, we didn’t understand how quickly the virus could spread, or the actions we could take to protect those living on the streets. Now, eight months later, we have accomplished so much to ensure our most vulnerable unsheltered residents are safe amidst this pandemic. 

Outreach workers around the city identified seniors, individuals with compromised immune systems, as well as those with physical limitations, and properly referred them to Project RoomKey. Thousands of individuals remain housed and isolated from others to ensure their ongoing health and safety. Those who remain on the street deserve the same level of support when it comes to having access to clean, safe, and sanitized sidewalks.  

For eight months the City of Los Angeles has not completed comprehensive clean-ups (CARE+) on our streets. Encampments have grown ten times their original size, and the amount of dumping and debris has increased, further comprising the health and wellbeing of unsheltered residents. LA Sanitation continues to pick-up residential bins weekly, however, street encampments have not received deep level cleaning in eight months. 

Businesses and residents who live by these encampments are also affected, as is their health. We need a balanced approach that meets the health needs of everyone; therefore, we ask the Los Angeles City Council to please resume CARE+ clean-ups and establish a health standard for individuals experiencing homelessness, and sanitized sidewalks and public spaces for the community.