A study of three Los Angeles neighborhoods revealed that ‘cleanups’ of encampments don’t result in fewer people on the streets.
A new study from the Rand Corporation highlights the futility of ‘cleanups’ at homeless encampments, revealing that the sweeps have no impact on the number of unhoused people on the streets.
As Doug Smith explains in Governing, the study sent teams of researchers to three locations in Los Angeles where the city conducted cleanups. Within two months, the number of people living in those areas had returned to previous levels. “One unintended consequence of multiple camp removals in Venice was that the number of people living without any shelter, not even tents, doubled to nearly half the street population.”
Other in-depth studies of the homeless population reveal that many residents face physical and mental health and addiction issues, underscoring a need for targeted outreach. “Overall, 45 percent of the people interviewed in the three neighborhoods said they had chronic physical health conditions and 56 percent said they had chronic mental health conditions.”
FULL STORY: Homeless Camp Cleanups Aren’t a Permanent Solution
San Jose Mayor Takes Dual Approach to Unsheltered Homeless Population
In a commentary published in The Mercury News, Mayor Matt Mahan describes a shelter and law enforcement approach to ending targeted homeless encampments within Northern California's largest city.
Indianapolis Falls Short of 2018 Goal to End Long-Term Homelessness
The city’s progress in building supportive housing units has not kept up with the rising numbers of residents experiencing homelessness.
San Francisco Scrambles to Build Shelters Faster
Mayor Breed directed city officials to double its shelter expansion goal.
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Congestion Pricing Drops Holland Tunnel Delays by 65 Percent
New York City’s contentious tolling program has yielded improved traffic and roughly $100 million in revenue for the MTA.
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