Westchester is a diverse community, not only socioeconomically but also in terms of age and race. The neighborhood is home to a wide range of residents, from young families and professionals to retirees, representing a variety of racial and cultural backgrounds. This diversity is a key characteristic that makes Westchester a vibrant and unique place to live.  Residents feel that our elected officials are undermining what makes Westchester special. The rapid changes in our community, including the increasing concentration of unsheltered homeless individuals and RVs and increasing crime, are having a negative impact on the character and quality of life that once made Westchester a cherished, peaceful place.

Many are concerned that these decisions resulting in these changes to Westchester are not in the best interest of the people who live here and that the unique charm of our neighborhood is being eroded as the neighborhood becomes more unsafe.

Residents are concerned about the significant increase in unsheltered homeless people and RVs in Westchester over the past two years. Official city counts show that Westchester/PDR now has 117 RVs, a sharp rise from the previous year and a disproportionate number compared to neighboring areas. RVs are being concentrated in Westchester.

To highlight the difference:

• Westchester/ PDR: 117 RVs
• Palms: 19 RVs
• Mar Vista: 23 RVs
• Venice: 56 RVs

As a result of city cleanups in other neighborhoods, Westchester/PDR now has more RVs than Palms, Mar Vista, and Venice combined, and this change occurred in just the last two years under the leadership of Councilwoman Park. Additionally, the number of unsheltered homeless in Westchester / PDR has also risen dramatically and shows another unprecedented level of disproportionality and concentration of homeless in Westchester /PDR:

• Westchester / PDR: 227 unsheltered homeless
• Venice: 106 unsheltered homeless
• Palms: 26 unsheltered homeless
• Mar Vista: 20 unsheltered homeless

We now have almost twice as many unsheltered homeless as Venice, Mar Vista, and Palms combined. Of the many areas Westchester areas affected, one of the most affected is Airport Blvd.,where the impact is evident.

How did this happen, and what is being done to address it?

We deserve the same attention and services as other communities. The Council office determines which areas are prioritized for cleanups under Inside Safe, and the Council office chooses which areas will have cleanups and schedules them. Despite the growing issues in Westchester, other parts of the district were prioritized for cleanup, and Westchester is also being considered for new housing projects instead. 

See One Voice Westchester for information about this.

It appears our city is making Westchester a containment zone for the homeless.

We are calling on our local government to:

1. Address the disproportionate concentration of RVs and unsheltered homeless in Westchester.

2. Prioritize our neighborhood for ongoing RV and encampment cleanups and operations of all types, as has been done in Venice for the last two years. These efforts have been very effective in Venice, but the problem has been shifted to Westchester.

3. Reduce the number of ED1 projects targeted to build in Westchester and spread them into other communities that seem to have been omitted in taking on this issue. This is necessary to avoid further concentration of homeless housing in Westchester, which already has more than any other community in the council district as discussed in this column: Watch LA ED1 Fallout

4. Request an exemption from ED 1 pursuant to the request of our Neighborhood Council

5. Comply with the terms of the Alliance settlement which prohibits concentrations of homeless and homeless housing and requires geographic equity

6. File a motion in City Council asking for exemption from ED 1 for the areas close to LAX that are within the noise contour of LAX, within the airport specific plan of LAX, and those burdened with high levels of noise and air pollution that may not be within either the noise contour or the airport specific plan. Prior to filing this motion, we ask Councilwoman Traci Park to work with community stakeholders to discuss language of the motion.

This situation has worsened in the past two years, and it’s time for action.

 We deserve a plan with clear deadlines and results!