In early March, Council Member Traci Park filed a motion with the City Council requiring city agencies to determine if Fire Station #5 in Westchester can be used for "affordable housing.” That includes homeless housing under the Mayor’s emergency directives, AND PROJECTS UNDER THESE DIRECTIVES ARE ON THE FAST TRACK.

Fire Station 5 is within 200 feet of LAUSD Kentwood Elementary School and the LAUSD Early Childhood Education Center for underprivileged youth, and only 300 feet from Visitation School, which serves children in preschool through 8th grade. The site is next door to a single family home and in a residential neighborhood. 

TRACI PARK STRONGLY OPPOSED HOMELESS HOUSING NEAR SCHOOLS UNTIL NOW. She has filed no such motion for any other location in CD 11—just this location near schools. THERE ARE DOZENS OF OTHER SITE OPTIONS IN CD 11. Several wealthy communities in CD 11 have no homeless housing at all, while Westchester already has hundreds of beds for the homeless.

There is a need for shelter for unhoused people, but not near schools where an adult’s choices can have significant, life-altering consequences for our most vulnerable community members.

The potential impact to young children walking to/from school or with exposure to drug paraphernalia, feces, anti-social/dangerous behavior, fires, and drug overdose deaths is significant. 

I am a retired LAFD firefighter and paramedic of 28 years. My wife and I live near Fire Station 5, and I was stationed there 14 years. My son attended Kentwood for elementary school.

Based on my decades as a firefighter and first responder, I know from first-hand experience that many homeless have severe and chronic mental, behavioral and/or substance abuse issues, regardless of age. Oftentimes they become unpredictable and dangerous. They may not have harmful intent, but this is a reality of their behavior. I have seen this thousands of times. Typically, there are additional lower level crimes, such as theft, property damage, and public defecation/nudity associated with this lifestyle. This too is an unfortunate reality.

In the City of LA, homeless housing is "low barrier." That means sobriety is NOT required in homeless housing provided by the City of LA, and people who live there are NOT required to receive treatment or services. The people who live in these projects have an "amnesty box" and they check in their weapons and drugs when they enter the facility and check them out again when they walk out the door NEAR OUR SCHOOLS AND OUR SCHOOL CHILDREN! THIS IS A DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN.

Our neighborhood is racially diverse and 65% of the students who attend Kentwood Elementary are children of color, primarily African-American and Latino. Nearly a third are underprivileged and qualify for the LAUSD free lunch program. It is critical that we maintain a safe educational environment for all children to learn. Putting homeless housing 200 feet away from a school  interferes with student learning and achievement and places children in danger. 

PLEASE STOP THIS FROM HAPPENING SO CLOSE TO OUR SCHOOLS AND OUR CHILDREN’S HOMES! ASK OUR POLITICIANS TO FIND A LOCATION THAT IS NOT SO CLOSE TO SCHOOLS! 

Bennett Rogers, Firefighter/Paramedic, Ret. LAFD, 28 years of service
ProtectYoungStudents@gmail.com