LOS ANGELES – Crews on Wednesday continued clearing out tents and piles of debris from a long-standing homeless encampment along the 110 Freeway in South Los Angeles.
The effort is part of California’s new State Action for Facilitation on Encampments (SAFE) Task Force.
What we know:
The cleanup marked the task force’s first operation in Southern California, where dozens of people living at the site were offered shelter and services.
The operation
The cleanup targeted the stretch of the northbound freeway between 87th and 88th streets, as well as nearby 88th Place. The encampment had grown over time, with tents and debris spilling into the surrounding community. Caltrans declared the area unsafe due to hazardous waste and other safety risks.
Crews removed tents, trash and hazardous materials before bringing in boulders and fencing to prevent the site from being reoccupied. The operation was a joint effort between the governor’s SAFE Task Force and Los Angeles’ Inside Safe program.
Services offered
According to Tara Gallegos, a spokesperson for Gov. Gavin Newsom, 15 people from the encampment accepted shelter.
Anetta Kidane, senior director of Inside Safe L.A., said 32 people experiencing homelessness agreed to receive support from city, county and nonprofit agencies.
City officials confirmed that all individuals at the site were offered housing through Inside Safe.
What’s next:
Officials say the task force is continuing work in the same area Wednesday from 88th to 95th streets on the northbound side of the 110 Freeway, with more planned operations in the coming weeks.
Gov. Gavin Newsom recently announced the launch of the SAFE Task Force, which is expected to expand operations across California’s ten largest cities, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and Sacramento. The task force is made up of multiple state agencies, each playing a role from public safety to housing support and cleanup.
The Source: This story was written with information from FOX 11’s Mario Ramirez’s field reporting, as well as statements from local officials and residents.
South Los AngelesHomeless Crisis