This came from a leader of another community who asked that we forward and share it... This Wednesday, July 27th, the LA City Council will vote whether or not to approve an amendment to an ordinance passed last year, the 'no camping sensitive areas ordinance' to expand the City's policy to humanely clear homeless encampments (LAMC 41.18). This will add more sites designated to be cleared as the city attempts to correct the imbalance now suffered by residential neighborhoods, schools, libraries, and other 'sensitive areas'. Your Councilmember must hear your support now, as an organized and well-funded movement seeks to squash this common-sense approach. If this amendment is not passed, the already lax and inadequate enforcement will surely persist. We need everyone to tell the LA City Council that they support the proposed improvements. TAKE ONE OR MORE OF THESE FOUR ACTIONS NOW: 1. Call and / or email your Councilmember. It's OK to leave a voicemail message after hours (call back if lines are busy). Scroll down to find and contact your Councilmember. 2. Tweet your Councilmember Tweet..VOTE YES on the 41.18 amendment. The new amendment is URGENTLY NEEDED to restore order, sanitation, safety, and the rule of law to all communities and schools of Los Angeles, not just those in certain council districts. #Support4118 Scroll down for Councilmember Twitter handles. 3. Submit a Public Comment online. Click HERE to view the entire City Council File, then click 'NEW' to submit comment. 4. Go To City Hall and give public comment this Wednesday, July 27th at 9:30am - 12:00pm at 200 N. Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Click HERE for agenda (see Item #11). Background.... The impacts of homelessness on residential communities, schools, pre-schools, libraries, and other such 'sensitive areas' have been ignored for far too long. Advocates have obstructed a fair and balanced approach through the courts for years. Our elected representatives have finally seen that a reset, which restores some balance for our residential communities and safety for sensitive areas is more than justified.

Shelter Available For All Unhoused.. Shelter exists for those who want it. Privatizing public space such as city parks, beaches, sidewalks and rights-of-way is neither tolerable nor necessary. There have been great strides in adding more shelters in all Council Districts.

We want our elected representatives to act in a humane and responsible way, while not forgetting or ignoring the rights and extended tolerance of our vital residential communities, or the safety of our children. Please make your voice heard now. Call or email your individual LA City Councilmember..... (Find My Representative): ■ Councilmember Gil Cedillo CD1 - 213-473-7001 ■ Councilmember Paul Krekorian CD 2 - 213-473-7002 ■ Councilmember Bob Blumenfield CD 3 - 213-473-7003 ■ Councilmember Nithya Raman CD4 - 213-473-7004 ■ Councilmember Paul Koretz CD5 - 213-473-7005 ■ Council President Nury Martinez CD6 - 213-473-7006 ■ Councilmember Monica Rodriguez CD7 - 213-473-7007 ■ Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson CD8 - 213-473-7008 ■ Councilmember Curren Price CD 9 - 213-473-7009 ■ Councilmember Herb Wesson CD 10 - 213-473-7010 ■ Councilmember Mike Bonin CD11 - 213-473-7011 ■ Councilmember John Lee CD12 - 213-473-7012 ■ Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell CD 13 - 213-207-3015 ■ Councilmember Kevin de León CD 14 - 213-473-7014 ■ Councilmember Joe Buscaino CD15 - 213-473-7015 Tweet at the Councilmembers: @gilcedillo @PaulKrekorian @BobBlumenfield @nithyavraman @PaulKoretzCD5 @CD6Nury @MRodCD7 @mhdcd8 @CurrenDPriceJr @HerbJWesson @mikebonin @CD12LA @MitchOFarrell @kdeleon @JoeBuscaino SOME HISTORY:

LA City Council Votes to Ban Homelessness Encampments Near Schools July 1, 2022 NBC Los Angeles https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/la-ban-homeless-encampments-schools/2929499/ Regular City Council Meeting - 7/1/2022 - YouTube...

Item #74 ... City Councilmmber deliberations... Item #74 was also addressed during Public Comment https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MvNZ3luIJ9A

This was the meeting to amend the sensitive area ordinance voted in last year.

A unanimous vote was needed July 1st, and Councilmember Bonin voted NO. ..again.

So July 27th is a do over.

Both Councilmembers Bonin and Raman voted NO on the ordinance last year but it went through..

Counclmember Raman was absent from this July 1, 2022 meeting and has not yet voted.

During Public Comment, speakers who support this, shared their experiences, what they are witnessing with the encampments in front of schools.....parents, students, teachers, principals, etc. Alot of public safety, and health concerns and issues.

Some parents spoke Spanish and spoke through translators....really worried for their children's and school staff's safety, since encampments are now right in front of their schools, abutting some of them, and in walkways needed to get to the schools.. As mentioned in the NBC report, chaos broke out at the July 1st meeting, yelling, etc. as councilmembers started deliberating, and everything had to stop, as the angry opposers verbally attacked, and would not allow councilmembers to speak.

They finally had to be removed but it went on for quite awhile. Councilmembers corrected some of the false rhetoric and information expressed by ordinance opposers:

This is not 'criminalizing' the unhoused.

Housing and shelters are offered, have been offered, each time an encampment has been moved from a 'sensitive area'....legally abiding by Boise v. Mason.

Encampments just cannot be within 500 feet of 'sensitive areas' on the list.

The city has a long history of keeping sidewalks around schools free.

There have been drug free and safety zones.

L.A. Municipal Code Section 8073 even prohibits street vendors from being within 500 feet of schools.

This amendment extends protections to students, as the ordinance originally voted in last year left children's safety up for grabs, left it up to 'politics', as it was left up to individual councilmembers whether or not they would move encampments and protect our children in their districts.

Only Councilmembers Bonin and Raman opposed the ordinance.

With this amendment, the children of all council districts will now be protected.