UpFront RV Encampment Crisis Hits Home for L.A. Churches Who Are Hopping Mad That They Are Getting No Help From the City

Pastor Jeffrey Lewis is at his wit’s end. He contends that the RV encampment around his church, New Antioch Church of God in Christ,–located on the corner of Vermont and 79th– is out of control.

“We’re one block from a school and to see kids daily have to walk through filthy sidewalks and pass right by individuals engaging in drug and human trafficking is so disgraceful,” Lewis said. “What makes it worse is when we call for help, we’re passed from department to department and it seems as if no one is willing to take responsibility. South Los Angeles is in crisis and we need help.”

Elim Los Angeles, one of the city’s largest Latino congregations, is having the same problem at their South L.A. church that was once home to Greater Bethany (now City of Refuge).

Speaking for the church, Luis Munoz, reported that they, too, had reached out to city officials to no avail.

“We have called and there is no response. Nothing has been done,” Munoz said.

Both churches are among the growing number of churches dealing first-hand with the troubling issue of how to have the unsightly RVs moved from the streets surrounding their churches.

A 2020 Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority report estimated that there were over 9,000 individuals living in vehicles, including RVs, within the city limits. To that end, the emergence of Recreational Vehicles (RVs) parked in front of churches has become an escalating concern. From obstructing the view of architectural and historical church fronts and passageways to creating sanitation and parking problems for con gregants, the presence of RVs is disrupting the peaceful ambiance and sanctity associated with these religious spaces and elevating the concern for safety.

In a May 24, 2023 letter to L.A. City Coun cilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson that was signed by representatives of eight-area churches–including Crenshaw Christian Center, Elim L.A. Church and 88th Street Temple COGIC, Lewis wrote, “the issue that needs to be considered are the individuals living in those vehicles and tents have no place to relieve themselves nor to deposit their litter, thus they use the sidewalks. There is one RV that I have called 311, your office and the City of LA and noted how our children, on their way to school, must walk through trash, feces and drug paraphernalia daily. To date, nothing has been done.”

Some churches, trying to balance compassion with community obligations, find themselves in a difficult position, given that the RVs are used by those unable to find affordable housing–an issue that they’ve been called on by new Mayor Karen Bass to assist with.

Bass is calling for a holistic approach that provides safe temporary locations for the RVs, while also connecting residents with crucial resources to transition towards stable, permanent housing. "Moving these RVs from sight is not the solution to the problem, it's merely sweep-

LADWP Customers Can Go Back to Three-Days-A-Week Watering

After experiencing a record snowpack created by the unprecedented amount of precipitation earlier this year, the Mayor and City Council have approved LADWP’s recommendation to revert back to threedays-a-week outdoor watering.

“We want to thank our customers for continuing to lead on conservation and helping us exceed our water conservation goals,” said Anselmo Collins, LADWP Senior Assistant General Manager of the Water System. “Over the past year, Angelenos reduced their water use an additional 10%, which is a remarkable achievement considering this was on top of the substantial long-term water conservation our customers had already achieved.”

The return to three-days-a-week watering means customers with street addresses ending in odd-numbers may water on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and customers with even-numbered street addresses may water on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, before 9 a.m. or after 4 p.m., when the evaporation rate is appreciably lower than during the middle of the day.

D.T. CARSON Staff

Blacks and Latinos Account for Nearly 80% of Arrests in Los Angeles

Blacks and Latinos make up about 56% of Los Angeles’ population, but they account for about 80% of all arrests in California’s largest city, according to an analysis of about 300,000 arrests between 2019 and 2022 conducted by L.A. Controller Keith Meija’s office.

According to the report released last week, for almost every year of the study, Council District 14 led all other districts for the total number of arrests. In 2021, it came in second to Council District 8 by a difference of only three arrests.

In all four years, the LAPD recorded more arrests for misdemeanor and infraction offenses than for felonies.

ing it under the rug,” Mayor Bass has stated. “We must tackle the roots of this crisis, and that means addressing our city's affordable housing shortage headon. Our focus should be on creating more affordable housing units and providing support for those living in these makeshift homes, not just on removing the RVs from our streets."

The L.A. City Council is also actively addressing the RV situation, identifying solutions that balance the needs of both the RV dwellers and homeowners. Measures under consideration include the establishment of designated RV parking areas with access to necessary amenities, such as water and waste disposal. The council is also exploring partnerships with non-profit organizations providing support for individuals living in RVs.

In the meantime, pastors like Lewis continue to seek solutions and have banded together to forge a plan that they hope will result in greater cooperation from city officials to resolve the problem.

Senator Tim Scott Surges in the Polls

Hand watering is allowed every day before 9 a.m. and after 4 p.m. if the hose is equipped with a self-closing water shutoff device.

The following water conservation practices continue to be in place under Phase

2. They include:

• Limiting outdoor watering with sprinklers to eight minutes per station on permitted watering days

• Watering with sprinklers using waterconserving nozzles are permitted for up to 15 minutes, twice a day, on the permitted watering day

• No water should flow off of your property

• No water should leak from any pipe or fixture

• No watering within 48 hours after a measurable rain event

• No hosing of driveway or sidewalk

• No washing of vehicles using a hose without a self-closing nozzle

In other LADWP news, THBoard of Water and Power Commissioners has unanimously re-elected attorney and public policy strategist Cynthia McClain-Hill as President

Senator Tim Scott is steadily emerging as a strong contender, ranking third in the crowded field behind former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantos. A recent NBC News poll found him to be the second-choice candidate for a growing number of Republicans.

As early polls stand, Scott is making a strong impression in the crucial early battleground states which host the first presidential primaries and caucuses, setting the stage for the rest of the election cycle. In Iowa and New Hampshire, he ranks second and third respectively

Scott continued to page 24

At least 400 arrests were made yearly in the "dependent" category, which accounts for children taken into custody due to parent or guardian abuse, neglect, endangerment, or runaway children, according to the analysis.

“The data available is unclear about the nature of these interactions, but raises questions about the frequency that children and youth are coming into contact with the LAPD," the report stated.

On July 26, California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber announced that initiative 1942 became eligible for the November 5, 2024, general election ballot. The initiative would expand local government’s authority to enact rent control on residential property.

Current state law (the CostaHawkins Rental Housing Act of 1995) generally prevents cities and counties from limiting the initial rental rate that landlords may charge to new tenants in all types of housing. It also prevents cities from limiting rent increases for existing tenants in, residential properties that were first occupied after February 1, 1995, single-family homes and condominiums.

Concerns Mount Among Dems As Black Voter Turnout Drops

Democrats are increasingly worried about a potential drop in Black voter turnout next year, particularly among Black men, their most loyal constituency, who played a pivotal role in securing President Biden’s victory in 2020 and are crucial to his bid for reelection.

The Washington Post analyzed the Census Bureau’s turnout survey and found that Black voter turnout saw a significant ten percentage-point decline in last year’s midterms compared to 2018, a more substantial drop than among any other racial or ethnic group.

While Democrats initially downplayed these warning signals due to other victories in 2022, such as gaining a U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania and Senator Raphael G. Warnock’s reelection in Georgia, the decline in Black turnout has become a significant concern for the party as they look ahead to the next presidential contest in 2024.