The Los Angeles law known as 41.18 limits where people can sleep and set up tents. Now it's a major election issue.
, an elementary school run by the L.A. Unified School District not far from Gale’s home. Neighbors in the area, including school officials, repeatedly demanded that O’Farrell’s office address the trash and crime they said were associated with the Glendale Boulevard encampment.
Montalvo, 52, was not troubled by the creation of the zone around Clifford, saying nearby streets still offer “plenty of space.” Councilmember Nithya Raman, whose district is anchored by the Hollywood Hills, has been a longtime foe of the law. Councilmember-elect Eunisses Hernandez, a major critic of 41.18, takes office in December.
Chatsworth resident Katherine Tattersfield, who volunteers with West Valley Homes Yes, said the city’s anti-encampment ordinance is inhumane. Darling’s opponent, attorney Traci Park, is taking a harder line, saying she would not only utilize 41.18, but expand it to cover hillside areas at risk of wildfire and sensitive ecological areas like Ballona Wetlands, home to a huge concentration of RVs.
“We do not plan to enforce 41.18,” he told the groups. “It doesn’t mean we’re going to enable people to just be there and not move.”Several other candidates have defended the law.