Large homeless encampment in Koreatown sparks outrage

Massive Koreatown homeless encampment an eyesore for residents

Residents who live nearby a large homeless encampment in Koreatown are demanding it be cleaned up as many unhoused residents have caused problems to those in nearby buildings.

LOS ANGELES - A large homeless encampment in Koreatown is sparking outrage with many. 

Images from SkyFOX show a sprawling encampment with multiple tents and even a netted court. 

Outreach crews were on site Tuesday trying to convince people living in a large homeless encampment off Manhattan Place to move to permanent housing.

Between 20 and 30 people have been living in the large empty lot between 8th and 9th streets for over a year, even putting up a large net where neighbors say they can see them playing pickleball.

What they're saying:

Managers in adjacent buildings say they've repeatedly called police and the city, finding people doing drugs, trying to break into their buildings, and tapping into power and water illegally.

Eddie Santana said the city cleared the location a year ago, but people returned right after and expanded the encampment. 

Earl Ofari Hutchinson, president of LA's Urban Policy Roundtable, walked around the site Tuesday, saying the city needs to step in right away, and the property owner needs to be billed for the cost of cleanup. He added that if residents are allowed to return to the cleaned-up locations, the problem will never end. 

Mayor Bass's office sent FOX 11 the following statement, "Under Mayor Bass and Councilmember Yaroslavsky, City departments will address the safety and cleanliness issues on this site and have begun outreach to offer housing and services. Private property owners cannot be allowed to let their lots become a danger and a nuisance to the neighborhood. We will work to hold the property owner accountable for the related cost."

Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky's office also released a statement saying, "It’s completely unacceptable. Private property owners put entire communities at risk when they let vacant or abandoned properties spiral out of control, and City bureaucracy makes things worse by moving far too slowly. It should not take months of frustration or years of delays before action is taken. The system we have is set up to request compliance instead of demanding accountability. That’s why I filed a motion with Councilmember McOsker last week to demand a long-overdue report that will give us stronger tools to act quickly and decisively. Communities deserve urgency every time."