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VENICE BEACH, California Los Angeles s ever-expanding homeless problem is now likely landing on the doorstep of celebrity-filled beachfront neighborhoods as the beleaguered City Council looks for ways to alleviate some of the stress on world-famous Venice Beach.
The 2-mile strip of Venice, where actor Arnold Schwarzenegger and many others have pumped iron on an outdoor makeshift seaside gym, has now been claimed by thousands of homeless living in a tent city. Venice is only 3 square miles, and an estimated 4,000 homeless live there, said Soledad Ursua, a member of the Venice Neighborhood Council’s Board of Directors. Tourists pose for a photo at the Muscle Beach, as they enjoy the warm weather in the Venice Beach area of Los Angeles, Friday, Feb. 14, 2014. With much of the Northeast gripped by snow and ice storms, the Southwest is riding a heat wave that is setting record high temperatures and sent people to beaches and golf courses in droves
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For nearly 20 years, Matt Stayner and his wife have been sending their children to Westchester Park Easter egg hunts in the spring, swimming pool trips in the summer, the big community parade on the Fourth of July.
But after seeing dozens of tents go up across the park last year, Stayner decided he no longer wants his daughters going there unaccompanied. He grew even more alarmed after learning the park is one of several recreation areas being considered for “safe camping,” a program that allows homeless people to pitch their tents and receive social services.
Now, Stayner is volunteering with a group looking to recall Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Bonin, who came up with the idea. And he’s been asking neighbors to oppose Bonin’s proposal.
EXCLUSIVE: Someone wanted to hurt my dog - and they did. Pediatrician s Husky-mix Togo dies in suspected arson that destroyed her home in lawless Venice Beach, as neighbors blame influx of drug-addicted vagrants
Dr. Courtney Gillenwater lost her eight-month-old Husky-mix, Togo, after her one-story Venice bungalow went up in flames last Wednesday
The fire broke out around 4am at the home, located on Clubhouse Ave, near a growing homeless encampment
The cause of the blaze remains unclear, but some residents believe it could ve been sparked by drug addicts that have settled in the area
Days before the fire, Dr. Courtney recalled drugs being exchanged out of an illegal dumpster behind her home in the back alley where Togo s room faced
Mike Bonin shares homeless shelters proposal to Pacific Palisades community foxla.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from foxla.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
A judge presiding over attempts to resolve Los Angeles' homelessness crisis asked today for suggestions on how he might deploy the power of the federal court to speed up efforts to get the increasing numbers of indigent persons living on city sidewalks into housing.