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A proposal to tackle homelessness in Los Angeles with temporary homeless encampments at government-owned parks and beachfront lots is prompting fierce blowback from residents — who fear it’ll turn public spaces into hotbeds for crime without addressing the underlining issues causing homelessness.

The plan put forth by Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Bonin seeks to allow homeless people to pitch tents and receive social services at family-friendly outdoor spaces across the Westside — including Westchester Park, Mar Vista Park, Dockweiler Beach in Playa del Rey and Will Rogers State Beach in Pacific Palisades.

The proposal, slated for a City Council vote later this month, also calls for a temporary site for single-occupancy “tiny homes” or safe camping areas at a county-owned parking lot in Marina del Rey, as well as property at Los Angeles International Airport.

But the plan has sparked a massive recall effort by residents who claim that their local parks and beaches are already inundated by tents, the Los Angeles Times reported.

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Fred Garbutt (left) and his wife live in an homeless encampment in Westchester Park.
Fred Garbutt (left) and his wife live in an homeless encampment in Westchester Park. Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times/Shutterstock
Matt Stayner says his daughters can no longer play in Westchester Park amid a rise of homeless people living there.
Matt Stayner says his daughters can no longer play in Westchester Park amid a rise of homeless people living there. Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times/Shutterstock
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“Parents are frustrated,” Matt Stayner, a 54-year-old father of four who lives by Westchester Park, told the newspaper. “We’ve lost our park. We’ve lost out park and I would like to see action.”

Stayner said he and his wife stopped sending their daughters to the park unaccompanied following the rise of homelessness there.


  Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Bonin has been advocating for homeless people to live in tents in city parks and beaches. Getty Images Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Bonin has been advocating for homeless people to live in tents in city parks and beaches. Getty Images

And Stayner is not alone. Residents in Mar Vista told CBS Los Angeles they’re also seeing a growing number of homeless people camping out at Mar Vista Park — and they are concerned about safety.

“It’s concerning when you think that the kids are at the age that they could be going to the park and playing and you have to keep an eye on them,” resident Joanna Palmieri told the station.

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A homeless man pulls a cart of recyclables near a homeless tent along Venice Boulevard in Los Angeles on January 26, 2021.
A homeless man pulls a cart of recyclables near a homeless tent along Venice Boulevard in Los Angeles on January 26, 2021.Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Rayton Simba White (left) and Bill Greene live in a homeless encampment along Third Avenue in Venice, California.
Rayton Simba White (left) and Bill Greene live in a homeless encampment along Third Avenue in Venice, California. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
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“I’d like to tell Councilman Bonin please do not do that,” said Howard Lieberman, of Mar Vista. “Please be mindful of the health, safety and appearance of the neighborhood.”

Bonin’s call for the homeless camp sites has now sparked a petition signed by more than 19,000 people who fear their communities could follow in the footsteps of Venice, the Los Angeles neighborhood racked by increased crime and several fires.

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Matt Stayner and his family sit at a table in front of a homeless encampment in Westchester Park, California on May 13, 2021.
Matt Stayner and his family sit at a table in front of a homeless encampment in Westchester Park, California on May 13, 2021. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Kenneth Flinchum, an out-of-work electrician, sits in his homeless tent in Westchester Park, California on May 13, 2021.
Kenneth Flinchum, an out-of-work electrician, sits in his homeless tent in Westchester Park, California on May 13, 2021. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
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“These ‘homeless shelters’ might sound reasonable from the watered-down verbiage of its marketing plan … but they are not being presented for what they actually turn out to be,” the petition reads.

“This is not how we ‘take care of the homeless,'” it continues.

A separate online petition signed by more than 10,000 people seeks to recall Bonin.

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Tents full of homeless people lay around Westchester Park in California on May 13, 2021.
Tents full of homeless people lay around Westchester Park in California on May 13, 2021. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Lisa Hope sits in front of her homeless tent in Westchester Park in California on May 12, 2021.
Lisa Hope sits in front of her homeless tent in Westchester Park in California on May 12, 2021. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
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Meanwhile, Bonin told the Times his critics are jumping the gun before the city fully examines his proposal.

If ultimately approved, Los Angeles officials will look at each space and determine if it’s viable to serve the homeless, he said.

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Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas supports councilman Mike Bonin’s plan to create temporary homeless encampments in parks and beaches.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas supports councilman Mike Bonin’s plan to create temporary homeless encampments in parks and beaches. Los Angeles Times via AP, Pool
A worker cleans in front of a row of tiny houses for homeless people in North Hollywood, Los Angeles.
A worker cleans in front of a row of tiny houses for homeless people in North Hollywood, Los Angeles. AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez
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“I’m not an enthusiastic booster of any of these locations,” Bonin said. “But there isn’t a better alternative on the Westside. And if there is, I am definitely eager to hear it.”

If a portion of a park is determined to be a fit for overnight homeless camping, Bonin told the Times the city’s laws on camping and tents would be enforced in the remainder of the parkland.


  Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Bonin wants to hear other alternatives to placing homeless people into public parks and beaches. AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Bonin wants to hear other alternatives to placing homeless people into public parks and beaches. AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes

Los Angeles Councilman Joe Buscaino cast the lone vote against Bonin’s proposal Thursday when it went before the city’s Homeless and Poverty Committee — but the process of evaluating the locations is expected to take several months, the Times reported.

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