LA homeless crisis: Massive encampment in West Rancho Dominguez draws concerns

Massive homeless encampment draws concerns

A massive homeless encampment spanning roughly half a mile is drawing renewed concern after neighbors say calls to the county went unanswered for months.

LOS ANGELES COUNTY, Calif. - A massive homeless encampment spanning roughly half a mile is drawing renewed concern after neighbors say calls to the county went unanswered for months.

What we know:

The encampment runs along West Compton Boulevard between Main and San Pedro streets, where an entire roadway is now lined with RVs, tents and fortified makeshift structures.

A FOX 11 viewer who identified himself as Alty tipped off reporter Matthew Seedorff, describing conditions as "horrible" and saying repeated outreach to officials brought no response.

"We’ve reached out plenty of times," Alty said.

FOX 11 crews responded and found more than 200 RVs and shelters in the area, many connected to nearby county infrastructure for power and water.

"This is my living room, my bedroom," one woman said while showing her shelter. She said electricity is pulled from a nearby streetlight.

Trash blankets the area, along with loose dogs, used condoms and hazardous conditions. Power cables and water lines appear to run directly from county infrastructure into the encampment.

Residents and workers nearby say the situation has become dangerous.

"There’s a lot of people out here that have overdosed. A lot of shootings, a lot of stabbings," Alty said.

"I come to work and everything is on fire — people fighting, naked. It’s a mess," a nearby worker said, requesting anonymity.

Some people living in the encampment say they have nowhere else to go.

"I don’t have a place to go, so I have to stay right here, but I don’t like it," one man said. Another said he has been living there for about a year.

Others say they have been offered help but refused it.

"Has the county offered you help?" a reporter asked.
"Yeah. Don’t want it," one woman responded.

Efforts to address the encampment have been ongoing. About a year ago, Los Angeles County crews cleared a nearby area along Redondo Beach Boulevard and installed orange K-rails to prevent RV parking.

"The goal is to get the people help that they need," a sheriff’s official said during that cleanup.

But the encampment has since shifted just one street over — and grown.

"Now it’s spilling into the neighborhoods," Alty said. "PD is like, the only thing we can do is ask them to leave."

Some who accepted temporary housing say the assistance has not led to stability.

"They came and took me, put me in a hotel … it hasn’t been paid for a year," one woman said. "I don’t know what’s going to happen to me."

Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell represents the area. In a statement to FOX 11, her office said it is aware of the encampment and is pushing for action.

"Supervisor Mitchell and our office are aware of the encampments and have uplifted this to the County Department of Homeless and Housing and will continue to do so," said Isela Gracian, senior deputy for homelessness and housing.

Gracian said that before the county launched its new homelessness department, Mitchell led efforts to develop an RV encampment resolution program known as Pathway Home. Since launching in 2024, the program has removed more than 90 RVs from the nearby unincorporated Willowbrook community.

"There is clearly more that needs to be done for this area and we remain committed to doing the work," Gracian said.

The supervisor’s office added it expects the county’s Department of Homeless and Housing to respond quickly and encouraged residents to report concerns directly by calling 213-752-1900 or visiting the county’s homelessness services website.

Despite outreach from county workers, none of the people FOX 11 spoke with Wednesday said they planned to leave.