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Los Angeles considers new prohibitions on RV camping

Aug 26, 2023Aug 26, 2023

Los Angeles Councilwoman Traci Park has proposed new rules for the city that would restrict RV parking around sensitive areas such as schools, daycare centers, parks and homes

Los Angeles Councilwoman Traci Park has proposed new rules for the city that would restrict RV parking around sensitive areas such as schools, daycare centers, parks and homes.

Park said the motion made this week would limit oversized vehicle dwelling in residential areas while also creating designated areas where RVs can park and access services.

“The surge in these oversized vehicles being used as housing units creates a myriad of challenges that affect public health, welfare, and the overall livability of our local neighborhoods,” said Park.

Park has made homelessness a center point of her first term on the LA Council with a focus on homeless cleanups, including the removal of RV encampments in Playa Del Rey.

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She recently made a separate motion to ensure a fairer distribution of Measure H homeless funds as the measure approaches its renewal. Measure H, passed in 2017 with 69% voter approval, established a 0.25% sales tax to provide ongoing funding for homelessness prevention and intervention in the county. The funds are designated for various uses including mental health, substance abuse treatment, housing subsidies, job training, and services for homeless individuals and families. The county anticipates raising around $3 billion over the ten-year period of the measure and discussions are already underway about renewing it in 2027. Park’s motion focuses on allocating renewed Measure H funds based on the areas most affected by homelessness.

Los Angeles recently passed another resolution to reduce the presence of RVs and oversized vehicles in specific neighborhoods of West Los Angeles due to concerns regarding safety and parking. The city designated six additional locations in Park’s Council District 11, such as Ocean Park Boulevard, where overnight parking will be prohibited.

While RV campers have said they often have nowhere else to go, residents say the vehicles illegally dump trash and sewage into storm drains, block public right of way, reduce neighborhood parking and sometimes cause fires.

In her most recent motion, Park asked for a collaborative study across various city departments to identify appropriate parking locations that can provide services to RV campers.

“The scale of vehicular homelessness crisis and the unsafe and unsanitary conditions this problem has created for those living in and around these encampments demand immediate action,” said Park.

The motion asks departments to identify locations for RV parking, create a free permit system for parking, provide shower/restroom/sanitation services and include a safety component.

The Los Angeles Transportation and Housing and Homelessness committees will now take up the request.

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Matthew Hall has a Masters Degree in International Journalism from City University in London and has been Editor-in-Chief of SMDP since 2014. Prior to working at SMDP he managed a chain of weekly papers... More by Matthew Hall

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