FREE
Federal appeals panel affirms real estate company’s convictions in Huizar case
Andrew Do removed from Orange County commissions, OCTA Board
PG 02
PG 27
VISIT WESTCOVINA.COM
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16- SEPTEMBER 22, 2024
NO. 189
VOL. 12,
LA County calls for strategy to address homelessness near major sporting venues By City News Service
T
he county Board of Supervisors directed its staff Tuesday to develop a regional strategy by December 2025 for addressing homelessness in areas where major sporting events -- including the 2026 FIFA World Cup, 2027 Super Bowl and 2028 Olympics -- are scheduled to take place. “The surge in international tourism, and the need to establish adequate security perimeters, will also put pressure on the region to address homeless encampments near the venues and neighborhoods hosting these events,” according to a motion by Supervisors Hilda Solis and Janice Hahn. “Efforts to address homelessness in advance of international sporting events in other jurisdictions have had uneven results, leading to accusations that governments are busing unhoused
SoFi Stadium. | Photo by Doc Searls CC BY 2.0
individuals to the outskirts of host cities without addressing the underlying lack of shelter capacity.” The motion approved by the board calls for the development of a written regional strategy “to increase and
sustain the capacity to address unsheltered homelessness around areas where major sporting events will take place.” The motion states the county already has several tools at its disposal to
address encampments, noting that the Pathway Home program has cleared 17 encampments and 465 recreational vehicles near the venues in the cities of Los Angeles, Inglewood and Long Beach, including 749
people who were moved into interim housing. The county also partners with the city of Los Angeles on Mayor Karen Bass’ Inside Safe program, which has brought almost 3,000 Angelenos into housing situ-
ations since its launch in late 2022, according to the motion. “In advance of the upcoming sporting events, it is imperative that Los Angeles County and our local jurisdictional partners have a plan to effectively and humanely address encampments, with a strategy that prioritizes housing and services for our most vulnerable residents,” the motion states. The report is also expected to include budget estimates and recommendations for ways area stakeholders can support the implementation of the strategy. Relevant stakeholders such as the city of Los Angeles, LA 2028, the Executive Committee on Regional Homelessness Alignment, Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority and others are expected to collaborate on the report.
LA County works with city to obtain code-compliant street vendor carts By City News Service
T
he county Board of Supervisors Tuesday agreed to accept $1.67 million in federal funds from the city of Los Angeles to support the manufacture and distribution of code-compliant vending carts to support local street vendors. The county had previously approved an allocation of $2.5 million of its own American Rescue Plan Act funding to procure carts that comply with the county’s newly enacted sidewalk vending ordinance. The city enacted a vending program of its own and has been working to support vendors, including working with the county Department
of Economic Opportunity to purchase and distribute vending carts to eligible vendors. “In recognition of the economic benefits sidewalk vending provides to immigrant and low-income communities and the overall health of our local economy, and because the boundaries lines between the city of Los Angeles and the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County are often blurred for most vendors, it is a benefit to the county to collaboratively partner with the city in its procurement and distribution of sidewalk vending carts,” according to a motion by Supervisors Hilda Solis
A street vendor outside The Broad museum. | Photo by Jeff Vincent CC BY 2.0
and Holly Mitchell. The board approved the motion, which allows the county to accept the federal
dollars from the city and sign an agreement with the city for the manufacture and distribution of the carts.
The county’s Sidewalk Vending Ordinance was approved in February and took effect in early August. Under the county ordinance, vendors must obtain a health permit, which requires an initial fee, ranging from $508 for a low-risk operation selling pre-packaged food to $1,186 for higher-risk vendors who prepare and sell hot food, such as a taco stand or hot dog cart. Vendors then have to pay ongoing annual fees ranging from $226 to $1,000, depending on the type of vending. A subsidy program was also adopted to cover about 75% of the health permit costs for vendors who meet
certain qualifications, including annual revenue of less than $50,000. A separate county ordinance also imposes regulations for vendors in unincorporated areas, including restrictions on where and when they can operate and requirements for distance between vendors. Under that ordinance, vendors must register with the county and pay a registration fee of $604. That fee, however, will be largely subsidized by the county Department of Economic Opportunity, which will cover the full cost of the permit in the first year, then reduce it to $100 in subsequent years.