Stop encampments near our schools

Angelenos are a compassionate people.

When it comes to understanding the needs and the complicated lives of the unhoused people among us, for decades now we've gone along with the legal and social-service agencies' logic that says, compassionately, making being homeless a crime doesn't make the issue go away.

Creating housing that people can afford to live in is what makes the issue go away.

We've been frustrated that the huge amounts of taxpayer dollars expended in the county and city measures H and HHH in recent years to all appearances don't seem to have made any significant impact on the huge numbers of people living on our city streets.

Other major world cities have dozens, not tens of thousands, of people living by the sides of their roads. How has our society failed to provide housing for almost all where others have succeeded?

And yet we also realize that our weather and, yes, compassion make us an attractive destination, and that when some unhoused do get roofs over their heads, others arrive — or get kicked to the curb by unaffordable rents around here.

But when it comes to people living in makeshift camps or endlessly parked rattletrap RVs anywhere and everywhere, Angelenos have understandably reached their limit. That's why we were glad to see the Los Angeles City Council approve on a 10-1 vote a tentative ban on homeless encampments near schools and daycare centers.

It's tentative and will require a July 27 confirmation vote only because Westside Councilman Mike Bonin trotted out the old “Making it less visible doesn't make it go away” trope, as Sam Catanzaro reports at westsidetoday. com. Angelenos are tired of that tired logic.

The new law will simply ban all homeless encampments within 500 feet of all schools within the city of Los Angeles, and end the requirement that such a ban has to be approved by the individual council member representing the area where such encampments happen.

“We are taking actions necessary to restore some degree of sanity and civility to our streets, and at the very same time we are protecting the young people of this city,” Councilman Paul Krekorian says.

He's entirely correct.