LOS ANGELES – For months, The Current has received growing reports from residents who say crime and drug activity have increased around neighborhoods near “Tiny Home” villages. During community meetings, residents often share troubling accounts of theft, fights, and narcotics activity they associate with the nearby shelters-facilities they claim have little to no security presence.
Service providers have long disputed those claims, insisting that incidents near the sites are unrelated. But recent comments from one of the city’s largest shelter operators have reignited the debate.Ken Craft, CEO and founder of Hope the Mission, acknowledged during a recent Encino community meeting that some Tiny Home locations have faced serious challenges. “Have all of our sites…..