March 5, 2021
This week the LA Alliance filed a notice of intent with the court to file a Preliminary Injunction, which would require thousands of beds in the coming months paired with public spaces regulation.
This is, in effect, the first step in placing the City and County into a court-supervised receivership concerning the homeless issues. Undoubtedly, both the City and County will feel that such an order is diminishing their powers. Yet, in the absence of a consensual agreement by the parties, court intervention becomes necessary.
In theory, the Alliance position is similar to the type of court intervention used in the famous Brown v. Board of Education case relating to school desegregation. Once it is clear that the local governments are unable/unwilling to address the problem adequately, the courts must take a more active role.
On another positive note, several of the largest law firms in downtown have now filed briefs supporting the Alliance’s position.
For those interested, all of the recent pleadings can be viewed on our website:
LA Alliance brief addressing progress
City’s brief addressing progress
City and County’s Joint Statement of Facts
LA Alliance’s response to court request
LA Catholic Worker & LA Community Action Network
Thank you for your ongoing financial support as we look to make an even bigger impact in 2021.
Don Steier
Chair, LA Alliance for Human Rights