About 55 homeless people occupying the plaza in Little Tokyo were relocated to shelters.
Photo: APU GOMES / AFP / Getty Images
a camp of homeless people who settled in a square in Little Tokyo is lifted by the authorities and it is contemplated that the space will be closed and fenced.
Toriumi Plaza became a site where homeless people settled during the pandemicand the removal of the camp sparked protests from some local groups advocating for homeless people.
Los Angeles Councilman Kevin de Leon’s office said Toriumi Plaza, located on 1st. Street and Judge John Aiso Street, would be closed for maintenance work, some electrical repairs, and to install some permanent fencing.
not reported when will the square open again.
The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) has been carrying out activities since February 16 to inform about the closure of the camp, and moved 55 people occupying the space to shelters.
It is estimated that between 25 and 30 people still occupied the square.
LAHSA provided references to 185 people so they can have access to substance abuse programs, housing and shelter opportunities, mental health services, coping resources, and other supports tied to the COVID pandemic.
The eviction of the homeless group provoked the rejection of some groups that defend these vulnerable communities, such as J-Town Action & Solidarity.
Together with We The Unhoused and Ktown for All, J-Town Action & Solidarity held a protest on Sunday attended by dozens of people, while this Thursday they met again in response to the closure of the square by the authorities.
Metal barriers were installed around the place in which signs with texts such as “care, no cages” and “house keys, no handcuffs” were put up.
The president of the Little Tokyo Public Safety Association, Brian Kito, spoke out grateful for the decision of the authorities, which will help put an end to the conflicts that arose with the homeless.
Kito also owns the oldest business in the area, the Fugetsu-Do Confectionery.
“The last two years with the camp created a lot of havoc. My employees used to go there on a nice spring day for lunch and now you don’t even want to walk there,” Kito told ABC.
The Little Tokyo Homeless Camp Retreat is similar to those held in Echo Park and MacArthur Park.
Officials said it will eventually be installed a perimeter fence to allow the plaza to be open only during the day.
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