Relocation is Not a Solution

By: Nyoko Brown

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The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated many issues within the homelessness crisis. In January of 2022, NBC News covered how the relocation of unhoused individuals experienced a surge during the pandemic. The article titled 'Indelible mark of shame': L.A. pivots to clearing homeless camps amid Covid surge, housing crisis informs its readers that the Los Angeles City Council adopted an “anti-camping” ordinance that banned sleeping in outdoor locations. What readers can take from this article is that now that homelessness is visible in more residential areas, the crisis is being met with more policing and fewer solutions.

Encampment sweeps are not a solution to homelessness, and the frequency at which they are performed is a direct attack on unhoused people. A brutality-first approach that involves the over-policing and relocation of unhoused individuals will only make the crisis more widespread. Continuing to feel the push from law enforcement and the pressure from those demanding their rights to housing is sure to quickly overwhelm any chance of making permanent housing accessible. Los Angeles is in desperate need of a genuine and sustainable effort in ending houselessness.

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References
NBCUniversal News Group. (2022, January 24). 'indelible mark of shame': L.A. pivots to clearing homeless camps amid Covid Surge, housing crisis. NBCNews.com. Retrieved March 6, 2022, from https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/indelible-mark-shame-l-pivots-clearing-homeless-camps-covid-surge-hous-rcna13114