Is A New L.A. Ordinance An Anti-Squatter Initiative?

The Los Angeles City Council is creating new restrictions that prevent oversized vehicles from parking in certain zones in Brentwood, an upscale neighborhood of Los Angeles, and San Pedro, a neighborhood near L.A.’s harbor.

The ordinance will not allow Recreational Vehicles to park overnight in these neighborhoods unless they have parking permits.

Why is this needed? Because people who are homeless are using RV’s as their permanent residence, and then parking them in these neighborhoods. (Can’t afford to buy a million-dollar Brentwood mansion? Then, just park your RV on their streets…)

It reminds me of some third world cities I have visited where people who are struggling to survive basically take over public (and sometimes private) land and build their own cardboard houses. In Brazil they are called Favellas. In most other cities they are called “Slums”. I wrote an op-ed piece in the LA Times about similar squatting in Hong Kong.

Clearly, when the government is having to pass ordinances that try to prevent squatting from occurring, we have a major problem. But the solution is not simply to prevent people from “setting up house” on public land or roads.

The solution is to help people “set up house” in their own house… the government should be building enough affordable housing for those who are struggling to survive.

Squatters in Brentwood is an omen. It’s a bad sign that shows our community’s neglect towards its hurting people.

(Pic from webhome.idirect.com)