A notorious homeless encampment in Venice has returned to the corner of Rose Avenue and Hampton Drive — more than three years after it was cleared by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Councilwoman Traci Park as part of the city’s Inside Safe Program.
According to ABC7 Eyewitness News, the encampment was first cleared in 2023 as the city’s second Inside Safe operation. At the time, the encampment stretched along Hampton Drive from Sunset Avenue to Rose Avenue. The cleanup housed more than 100 people and drew praise from local residents and businesses. Now, the encampment has re-formed in the same area, and neighbors are frustrated.
Mark Ryavec, president of the Venice Stakeholders Association, said the lack of consistent enforcement is the core problem. “We need to not have to keep having a land war like every few months in the same place,” Ryavec said. “Once we win it, we should win it. So I don’t understand why there isn’t any uniformness about the enforcement, even though, you know what? A lot of good work has been done, and a lot of people have been housed.”
Craig Ribeiro, a Venice resident of 35 years, echoed that sentiment. “The law is not enforced,” Ribeiro said. “It goes and it comes. I wish it would just stick. It would make it easier for the PD, fire department, everybody involved.”
Ribeiro also described conditions near the encampment. “I’ve seen them yell at people, go after people, crystal meth use, all kinds of drugs, shouting, urinating, defecating, all of it,” he said.
When ABC7 visited the encampment, crews were on the ground cleaning the area and conducting outreach. However, those living at the encampment told reporters they simply moved around the corner and planned to return once the cleanup crews left.
An unhoused woman who identified herself only as Kat told ABC7 she plans to go right back. “Right back where I was until I get housing, because I’m not running away. There’s nothing to hide,” she said. Kat also said the cleanups create new hardships. “Making our lives a lot harder, because the reason my bag gets stolen is because of a cleanup crew. My backpack, everything in it — my IDs, my birth certificate — everything was stolen, so I can’t make it anywhere because everyone wants an ID for a job, you need an ID to apply for anything,” Kat said.
The encampment surrounds a currently vacant building that houses The Rose Venice, a historic restaurant that has operated in the community for more than 40 years. In a statement, Sprout L.A., the company that operates the restaurant, said: “We have been repeatedly vandalized, burglarized and harassed. Despite all this, we believe in the strength of this community and are committed to an eventual reopening.”
Councilwoman Park’s office explained that the encampment has taken root in a gap between two enforcement areas. Under Los Angeles Municipal Code Section 41.18, the city can designate zones where encampments are prohibited. “Two 41.18 enforcement zones we established in this area following the 2023 Inside Safe operation have largely prevented encampments of the scale we saw before from repopulating,” Park’s office said in a statement. “However, the gap between those zones has allowed a small number of persistent and mostly service-resistant individuals to return. We’re working now to close that gap.”
Mayor Bass’ office also responded, saying in part: “We have known this is an extremely attractive area for encampments, but we will not be deterred.”
Ryavec said the situation remains confusing. “It’s really bizarre, and I don’t know why they’re not enforcing the law the way they have been for three years,” he said.
Both Mayor Bass and Councilwoman Park are currently campaigning for re-election. Park’s office says it is actively working to close the enforcement gap that allowed the encampment to return.
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