Housing rights protest

Protestors: Housing not handcuffs

Los Angeles Community Action Network Organizers and Supporters Gathered outside Los Angeles Police Department’s Downtown headquarters to protest the continued delay of a city government report on the “cost and efficacy” of LA Municipal Code 41.18.

The code states that Quote “no person shall obstruct a street, sidewalk, or public right-of-way.” The LA Action Network claims that the rule has been abused by LAPD to target and displace the unhoused. Action Network organizer Adam Smith believes that the rule fails to solve LA’s rampant homeless issue and instead causes immense distress for those being constantly displaced.

Smith: As much as they tried to talk about it being necessary to solve encampments. Yeah, we’ve seen that. It’s just about disappearing, tense, moving people from block to block moving people out of sight from people that don’t want to see them. And we know that it’s not a real solution.

The Action Network, which produced its own report on Municipal Code 41.18 in response to a lack of an official investigation, says the release of an official report will expose the inefficiency and cruelty of Municipal Code 41.18. It will also hold politicians behind the code’s continued enforcement accountable. Action Network Organizer Joanna Swan speaking at the protest believes political accountability is especially important now as politicians continue to expand the scope of the Municipal Code’s enforcement.

Swan: While one might expect a politician to see the evidence of what criminalization does and dial it back. We’ve seen councilmember Park not only ramp up 4118 enforcement, but apply the 4118 model of exclusion zones across council district 11 For people living in RVs.

The LA city government has still not set a hard date to release its report.