The Brief
- City crews cleared a long-standing homeless encampment near Santa Monica Boulevard and Westwood Boulevard after residents complained of unsafe and unmanageable conditions.
- Residents and people living in the encampment expressed frustration, citing public safety concerns, systemic failures and uncertainty about long-term housing solutions.
- City officials said most people accepted housing and service offers, but some residents worry the cleanup will only provide temporary relief.
LOS ANGELES – City crews cleared a long-standing homeless encampment near Santa Monica Boulevard and Westwood Boulevard on Thursday afternoon, following weeks of complaints from nearby residents who said the situation had grown unsafe and unmanageable.
The cleanup, conducted by Los Angeles sanitation workers with police and outreach teams on scene, focused on an area neighbors described as plagued by overcrowding, open-air drug use and blocked sidewalks.
One person living in the encampment said as many as 100 people were living there at its peak.…