as (very) tiny houses pop up around the Los Angeles area, councilman calls them a threat

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Tiny houses come to San Pedro, in an effort to address the homeless population there with 4-by-6-foot wood structures on wheels. Anne Turner and her dog, Jack, and boyfriend Ricky Bates are living in one of the first houses they helped build. On 8th Street between Beacon and San Pedro Streets. Aug. 10, 2015. (Brad Graverson / Staff Photographer)

A South Los Angeles man, Elvis Summers, has collected nearly $85,000 in a Go Fund Me online fundraising campaign to build the homes, which are rudimentary but do offer doors and sliding windows.

Dozens of them now line the streets of Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles.

Locally, the Central San Pedro Neighborhood Council’s Homelessness Committee has launched an effort to build tiny houses for the many homeless who live on local streets, especially around San Pedro’s main post office on Beacon Street.

Three of the doghouse-style structures are parked along the curb on Eighth Street just east of Palos Verdes Street, where a homeless encampment on the sidewalk was moved a few months ago.

http://www.dailybreeze.com/social-affairs/20150811/la-councilman-pushes-for-removal-of-tiny-houses-for-the-homeless


Councilmen demand removal of tiny houses for homeless, call them a ‘threat’

Two Los Angeles city councilmen Tuesday called for the removal of small wooden dwellings built for the homeless in San Pedro and other parts of the city, apparently inspired by a viral video showing a man building a similar house for a homeless woman in South Los Angeles.

Councilman Joe Buscaino questioned the legality of the shed-sized homes, which are typically placed in parking spaces next to sidewalks or other public areas.

The motion, seconded by Councilman Mitch Englander, calls for the city attorney to “report on the legality of the placement of such structures in both the public right-of-way and on private property, and recommend removal protocol for city departments to follow.”

The motion will be taken up by the Public Works and Gang Reduction Committee and the Homelessness and Poverty Committee.

http://mynewsla.com/government/2015/08/11/councilmen-call-tiny-houses-for-homeless-a-threat-demand-removal/