A business owner in Los Angeles has come up with a unique method to deter homeless individuals from setting up camp near his establishment.
Tracy, a woman living in the encampment adjacent to the building at the corner of West 11th Avenue and Main Street, describes the experience: “They played ‘Baby Shark’ all night.” She mentioned that the building owners seem intent on unsettling them, stating, “It’s making people crazy.”
The owners have been blasting music from speakers directed at the camp, which Tracy says is causing sleepless nights for her and others. “This is ridiculous. You can’t sleep. You can’t get a home. You can’t eat,” she continued. “And now they’re trying to drive us mad with kids’ music.”
Shalom Style, who runs Styles Barber Lounge, expressed that while they’re trying to keep their business afloat, they’re not being harsh or insensitive to the homeless. “When people are taking away from the business and all the shops are struggling, that’s not exactly kindness,” she noted. “We’re doing our best to survive here for our family’s sake.”
Recently, California Governor Gavin Newsom unveiled a multi-billion dollar initiative aimed at addressing homelessness in the state. He urged local governments to take “immediate action.”
On Monday, Newsom shared a proposed model ordinance designed to quickly manage dangerous and unsanitary encampments while connecting homeless individuals with shelters and services. “There’s nothing compassionate about people dying on the streets,” he remarked.
This ordinance is backed by funding from a new $3.3 billion proposition, with Newsom’s office emphasizing the necessity for local governments to act promptly.
Newsom has also called upon local leaders to exercise their powers in addressing homeless encampments, encouraging immediate policy adoption and implementation.
According to Newsom’s office, the governor is committed to holding communities accountable if they fail to comply with state laws concerning homelessness. They pointed out the 2024 case where the state sued the city of Norwalk for prohibiting homeless shelters.
Additionally, the governor’s office reported that while homelessness increased nationally by nearly 7% last year, California’s rise was significantly lower at just 0.45%, ranking it among the better-performing states.
Newsom’s office boasted that he was the first governor in the state to actively tackle this pressing issue, claiming progress is being made in a long-standing crisis.
