Services, Not Sweeps: Community Responses to City-Sanctioned Homeless Encampment Sweeps in Los Angeles, CA

• In Event: Poster Session

Abstract

According to a recent count, the City of Los Angeles is home to over 41,000 individuals experiencing homelessness, nearly 70% of whom are staying in places not meant for sleeping, such as vehicles, tents, and makeshift shelters. Some local policymakers have begun curbing service-oriented approaches to unsheltered homelessness in favor of criminalizing and controlling the visibility of their most vulnerable residents through anti-camping ordinances and encampment sweeps. Research shows that enforcement of these anti-homeless laws does not deter life-sustaining behaviors but instead perpetuates “pervasive penality”, through frequent and punitive interactions with government officials—including law enforcement officers—that cause material and psychological harm (Herring et al., 2019). Some community members have attempted to resist the harmful effects of sweeps through direct action, such as sweep blockades, collaborative community cleanups, and other forms of mutual aid. This paper theorizes the lived experiences of encampment residents and homelessness advocates using interview data (target n=30) that explores current living circumstances, interactions with outreach workers and law enforcement, and experiences during sweeps and community-organized responses. Findings will inform equity-based recommendations to improve encampment management and service provision practices in Los Angeles and similar cities across the nation.

Author

• Nicolas Gutierrez III, San Diego State University