Another video from German-in-Venice updating folks on the Venice Beach Boardwalk homeless encampment. The encampment stretches over a mile, occupying the entire commercial length of Los Angeles' beachfront playground. From its inception, Venice's Beachfront has been mildly populated with everything from vagrants to beatniks, victims of the 1981 Mental Health Systems Act repeal, bohemian artists, LA street gangs, colorful weirdos, and drop-outs. This is an economic refugee camp.
The last few years, exacerbated by the pandemic, have become a tragedy. Walk a few blocks inland and you will find thousands of more folks. While there was a recent local proposal to add many services and shelter, it has met with a lot of resistance.
The video is heartbreaking. It does not appear, to me, that very many people relocated into local hotels, Tiny Homes, or any other shelter. Our neighbors moved only as far as they had to, staying together to maintain some of their community, and likely to attempt to return to the courts as soon as they can.
While there will be less rotting garbage packed into the courts, is shuffling people around on the street really helping?
Around 1:18-1:23 I think G-i-V is on a hoverboard.
