This is the Venice Beach boardwalk. It is one of the first places that visitors come to. I was told that more people visit Venice Beach and the boardwalk than go to Disney World! There are all kinds of characters here that you will meet either walking along with the crowd, or sitting by the side of the boardwalk selling things. Well, sad to say, things have changed.
There have always been homeless camped on the sidewalks and in parks in Los Angeles. In the house where Liz and Sarah lived for 12 years, there was an encampment about 200 yards up the street with maybe 6 tents on the sidewalk. It was a mess, especially in a residential neighborhood. Here they have set up their tents on the grass under the palm trees.
So we haven't been here in Los Angeles since December 2019. Since then the boardwalk and the beach have been taken over by homeless. They are everywhere, camped right next to the boardwalk, and camped under the palm trees, and camped all over the beach. It is unbelievable to see them everywhere, overwhelming the place. It turns out that there are no campers in Santa Monica, because it is forbidden. But in the City of Los Angeles, where Venice is, there is a law on the books where, if you move homeless people from where they are on the street, you have to have a place for them. So... since there are no places for them to go, if they set up camp, they can't be moved.
The homeless don't just have tents and chairs. They have now collected all kinds of furniture and bicycles and who knows what which are under these tarps, in this photograph. The city has been working on trying to solve the problem, but nothing so far.
I am amazed at the number of homeless tent sites on the boardwalk in your photos. Milford has a few homeless sites that are tucked away in wooded areas. I have never seen them but know they exist. We also have a small shelter for evenings, but they are on their own during the day. This is a sad situation, but unfortunately a lot of homeless people want to be out on their own and not having to live by someone else's rules.
ReplyDeleteJoan
These photos are quite a shock! You have shown photos of the boardwalk before but this is totally different. It's so sad that the city cannot find a solution to help the homeless population in Venice. It's obviously been growing for a long time...betsey
ReplyDeleteI remember your previous photos of the boardwalk with entertainers and activities. It was so positive and alive with action. I am sad the city has let it come to this.
ReplyDeleteKaren