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Good morning! Today LA City Council Homelessness & Poverty Committee will be meeting at 10am. There are a couple of important agenda items we want to highlight, especially the proposal to turn the convention center into a temporary shelter. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-11-10/los-angeles-convention-center-homeless-shelter
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to leave comment 1 669 254 5252 and use Meeting ID No. 160 817 9748 and then press #. Press # again when prompted for participant ID. Once admitted into the meeting, press *9 to request to speak. Tune in: https://cityclerk.lacity.org/councilagenda/MeetingView.aspx?MeetingID=8991
ITEM 4 @CurrenDPriceJr is proposing to use the LA Convention Center as a temp shelter in response to the pandemic. In LAT, he also acknowledges the pressure of Judge Carter and his focus on freeways. Price happens to have the most freeways in his district. https://cityclerk.lacity.org/lacityclerkconnect/index.cfm?fa=ccfi.viewrecord&cfnumber=20-1475
One of the many reasons why we're skeptical of congregate shelters is that they are not a safe pandemic response. Congregate shelters are responsible for the majority of COVID outbreaks in LA’s unhoused pop, like what happened last month in San Diego. https://www.10news.com/news/local-news/san-diego-news/55-test-positive-for-coronavirus-at-san-diego-convention-center-shelter?_amp=true&__twitter_impression=true
. @marcformarc points out that this approach for a pandemic response is designed to fail. https://twitter.com/marcformarc/status/1335973446669438976?s=20
Medical expert @kellymdoran gives a really informative deep dive into the risks of convention center type shelters. Imagine what it would be like if the City Council listened to medical experts!
https://twitter.com/KellyMDoran/status/1335672206265905155
https://twitter.com/KellyMDoran/status/1335672206265905155
The fact that LA doesn’t have a shelter system has meant that LA in comparison to other cities has had lower CV19 infection rates among unhoused populations. Given the health risks, why would @CurrenDPriceJr propose this? You might remember the proposed 41.18 (sit/lie ban).
Part of the newly revised 41.18 is to allow enforcement when Council Districts have shelter available for ~60% of the unhoused populations (related to the Carter ruling in the OC), so CMs like Price and Buscaino are rushing to pop up shelter beds and other temporary solutions.
To LAT, Price said “My sidewalk areas are just unpassable. It’s unfair for the neighbors [...] who can’t go down the sidewalk....” Rushing shelter systems in relation to “clean sidewalks” is a talking point we hear often to allow in the threat of enforcement.
![To LAT, Price said “My sidewalk areas are just unpassable. It’s unfair for the neighbors [...] who can’t go down the sidewalk....” Rushing shelter systems in relation to “clean sidewalks” is a talking point we hear often to allow in the threat of enforcement.](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Eo49YzEUUAEH_ah.png "To LAT, Price said “My sidewalk areas are just unpassable. It’s unfair for the neighbors [...] who can’t go down the sidewalk....” Rushing shelter systems in relation to “clean sidewalks” is a talking point we hear often to allow in the threat of enforcement.")
We are supportive and asking for safe housing options for the thousands sleeping outside. Winter is here. A record number of unhoused are dying. Providing resources is incredibly important. The risks of COVID-19 are incredibly real. We need to seize hotels and vacant properties.
