Is Los Angeles Municipal Code 41.18 Helping the City Fix Homelessness?

 

Los Angeles Municipal Code 41.18 affects the homeless

41.18 is an Ordinance that Affects Homeless People in Los Angeles

True statistic: The city of Los Angeles only has enough shelter beds to house 39% of the city's homeless population. 

The residents of Los Angeles and the state of California understand the serious problems that come with a large homeless population, but without a proper solution to address it. Those who experience homelessness and oppose Los Angeles Municipal Code 41.18 can be seen wearing buttons or t-shirts that read: "41.18=Death."

Nine months after the city of Los Angeles passed the new and revised ordinance 41.18, city workers installed more than 100 metal signs at various locations throughout the city with a warning to the homeless population that they must leave those specific locations.

What is Los Angeles Municipal Code 41.18?

In 2021, the city of Los Angeles passed a law to take on the homeless population known as Los Angeles Municipal Code 41.18, (or LAMC 41.18), which says it is illegal to sit, sleep, and lie down on any street, sidewalk, and public right-of-way.

Will this new and revised LAMC 41.18 help homelessness?

It appears that the City Council is trying to legislate the homeless problem away without actually solving it. Most of the homeless affected are left asking: "Where am I supposed to go?"

New and Revised Version of Los Angeles Municipal Code 41.18 was Approved by the City Council in July 2021

The Los Angeles city council approved the new and revised version of Los Angeles Municipal Code 41.18 on Wednesday, July 28, and on Thursday, July 29, it was signed by the Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. Two city council members, one being Mike Bonin, opposed this revised version of 41.18. 

What did the revised version of Los Angeles Municipal Code 41.18 do?

The new and revised version of LAMC 41.18 expands this ordinance to include:

• being within 2 feet of any fire hydrant
• being within 5 feet of any operational entrance or exit
• being within 10 feet of a loading dock or driveway
• Daycare centers
• Libraries
• Parks
• Schools

Note: Enforcement in new areas cannot take place until the city council has reviewed and voted on the new area.

The ordinance allows the City Council to include by resolution areas within 500 feet of the following locations:

• Bridges
• Freeway ramps
• Pedestrian bridges
• Overpasses
  
• Subways
• Tunnels
• Underpasses
• Washes or spreading grounds

The Los Angeles city council can also pass by resolution areas within 1,000 feet of any place opened since 2018 that provides shelter, safe sleeping, safe parking, or navigation centers for people experiencing homelessness.

LAMC 41.18 is not supposed to impact homeless encampments in city parks, however, other ordinances already ban camping in Los Angeles parks.

Council Member Mike Bonin Opposed the New and Revised LAMC 41.18

Mike Bonin posted his passionate position on July 1, 2021, with comments on this issue on why he did not agree with the new and revised LAMC 41.18. In the video, he personally speaks about his opposition to the revised LAMC 41.18 but also gives his first-hand perspective of being homeless at one time in his life.

You can watch that video below:

Sources:

Mike Bonin, 11th District Councilmember. FAQ

Smith, Doug. "L.A.'s crackdown on homeless camping off to slow start with little enforcement." Los Angeles Times. 02 May 2022

Zahniser, David and Benjamin Oreskes. "L.A. finalizes its anti-camping law, setting the stage for vote-by-vote enforcement. 28 July 2021.