Hollywood is not new to unhoused people living on the streets even as city officials touted the decline of street homelessness across Los Angeles.
But while Mayor Karen Bass’ Inside Safe program moved out tents occupied by the homeless, some of them now appear to be living at Hollywood bus stops, according to a neighbor.
“I’m seeing less tents. I think that was brought up with the latest homeless count, but (there are) rough campers like this fellow,” Keith Johnson told NBC Los Angeles, describing one particular man, identified as David, who he said has been living at the bus station on Melrose Avenue and Vine Street, next to the Pavilions grocery store.
Johnson, a Larchmont Village resident of four decades, said he walks by the bus stops frequently as they are on his way to errands in Hollywood. He said he often asks the homeless people if they needed assistance.
“One night, (David) was on a foam mattress, and now he’s just laying in a pile of trash,” Johnson described.
Another homeless person occupied a bus bench on the north-south bus stop on Vine Street until last year’s Thanksgiving Day, according to Johnson.
“He had been there for weeks, and (city council officials) said they were sending somebody right away. And the next time I went by, he actually died,” the neighbor said.
Homelessness has plagued Hollywood for years, but Johnson said he started noticing more unhoused people taking over bus stops last year.
What’s frustrating for Johnson and other neighbors is that, for one, it’s impossible to talk to a person over the phone and report the situation, he said.
“I reached out to 211, and they referred me to LAHSA. That organization sent me to another website,” Johnson said. “In the end, I don’t know if anybody ever went out.”
Johnson also said he reached out to the office of Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez, whose District 13 includes Hollywood. But he said the response is always the same: “We’ll send someone.”
“It’s embarrassing, I think for the councilman and others, to show what’s really going on in our streets and why more of us aren’t speaking up,” he said.
The City of LA released the following statement on Tuesday evening.
“Health, mental health and behavioral health services lie solely with the County – the Mayor’s Office has asked the County to send mental health support today.”
NBC Los Angeles reached out to the offices of Mayor Karen Bass and Soto-Martinez but did not hear back.
By Tuesday evening, the bus station at Melrose Avenue and Vine Street was cleared of trash, but David moved to the sidewalk just a few feet away.
