Los Angeles is a beautiful city - full of life and breathtaking sights. Our public areas are truly worth traveling one thousand miles for, yet, the questionable architecture we have poses a problem for the 69,144 homeless individuals. Hostile architecture or defense architecture ranges “from armrests on benches to studs on concrete, such designs [that] prevent people from using the space in a way other than its intended use - that includes homeless people seeking a safe place to spend the night”. Essentially, the goal of anti-homeless architecture is to simply convey a false reality of the homeless epidemic. Or simply put, ignore the problem. 

As opposed to dealing with the societal effects that lead to higher rates of homelessness, state, and local governments believe hostile architecture to be the solution. It is a persuading rhetoric to believe defense architecture is for the safety and well-being of the public in public areas, however, “for those who are so vulnerable as to not have a bed to sleep in, they are another slap in the face—very clear signals that they are not welcome in the social community." As a community we should be using our voices to help those who feel the need to fall asleep on a bench. Our council members need to know the harsh reality, and the removal process needs to begin.