LOS ANGELES – A new Inside Safe operation has been launched in Hollywood, while Los Angeles officials began cleaning up a tent encampment near the Venice canals Wednesday in the latest efforts to combat the city’s homelessness crisis.
Mayor Karen Bass’s office partnered with Councilman Hugo Soto- Martínez, whose 13th District includes areas of Hollywood, and L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, on the latest Inside Safe operation.
“Inside Safe is a real solution that saves lives and supports communities,” Bass said in a statement.
Tuesday’s operation took place on El Centro Avenue off Hollywood Boulevard and addressed two encampments in the area. According to Soto- Martinez’s office, the encampments were among the “most challenging” and largest in the 13th District.
It is not known if the sweep occurred while Soto-Martinez was at the Tupac Shakur Walk of Fame ceremony.
More than 30 unhoused Angelenos were brought inside to various hotels in Hollywood, the mayor’s office said, adding the official report will released Thursday. The councilman’s office said it could not disclose the names of those hotels, citing a need to protect the privacy of the individuals.
“This was a challenging encampment and addressing it has been a top priority in our office in partnership with Hollywood residents and businesses,” Soto-Martínez said.
The councilman said Hollywood still needs more resources to address the homelessness crisis.
“Because of the coordination and weeks of outreach by our team, the mayor’s office, Supervisor Horvath’s team, and service providers, dozens of people will be able to have the comfort and security of a roof over their heads tonight, and are on the path to permanent housing,” he added.
Los Angeles officials approved an unprecedented $1.3 billion to address housing and homelessness in the city’s 2023-24 budget. The budget funds $250 million for the mayor’s Inside Safe program.
“That unprecedented funding will be key to scaling up the Inside Safe program as we continue to house Angelenos in Hollywood and throughout Los Angeles,” Bass said.
Horvath said in a statement that the county is “here to support every effort to bring unhoused Angelenos inside safety.” She noted that multiple county departments, county-funded rental subsidies, outreach teams, housing navigators and mental health clinicians are “part of every Inside Safe action.”
The new Hollywood effort is the 19th Inside Safe encampment operation throughout Los Angeles. The mayor’s office said more than 1,300 Angelenos have been brought inside through the program.
Meanwhile, an encampment near Venice Boulevard and Dell Avenue was being cleared on Wednesday in a separate effort that is not part of the Inside Safe program.
People living in tents in the area were told they needed to move by 6 a.m., according to multiple media reports.
“Since taking office, my team and I have been working with local residents to fulfill a longtime community wish — the beautification of the parkway along Venice Boulevard at Dell Avenue, which serves as gateway to Venice Beach for local residents and all of Los Angeles,” Councilwoman Traci Park said Wednesday in a statement posted on Facebook.
“Leading up to this work, which starts tomorrow, we have been actively working to bring the individuals living at this site safely indoors in partnership with CIRCLE, LAHSA, St. Joseph and SHARE. This is in addition to a CARE+ service day to restore public health, safety and accessibility along this important thoroughfare.
“We will continue our tireless work to bring people indoors.”
City News Service contributed to this report.