Corralitas Drive & Rosebud Ave: Homeless Guy Refuses To Move

Photo: Corralitas Neighbor #1, March 5, 2017. Neighbors are  frustrated by the City's policy allowing the homeless to live on the sidewalk.  Neighbors were fed up when the homeless guy's camp expanded with electronics, Christmas lights and what several neighbors described as "entertaining sketchy looking friends." (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Photo: Corralitas Neighbor #1, February 14, 2017.  Neighbors on Corralitas Drive had been remarkably tolerant of the homeless guy who, he first week of January, took up residence under the 2 Freeway,  at the corner of Rosebud Ave and Corralitas Drive.  However, after six weeks, neighbors noticed a deterioration of his camp, of blocking much of the sidewalk. 

Neighbors were fed up and amplified their calls and emails to CD13.  Several neighbors responded to our earlier post, including this response on February 17, by a neighbor at home with her kids, sent via email to neighbors and CD13:

"He knocked on my door on a rainy day, asking me for a wine bottle opener because someone stole his. I kindly told him I don't have one and immediately closed the door. I was home with all my kids and pretty concerned because as he went down the stairs (most likely frustrated), he went to my neighbor's garage door and cracked the bottle open by breaking off the neck of his wine bottle and leaving the broken glass on the sidewalk."  

Another neighbor home with his kids, witnessed the same incident after he'd sent the homeless guy away after making the same request at his door.   

In the following weeks, neighbors were on edge due to a reported increase in Silver Lake car break-ins; an attempted Corralitas garage break-in; graffiti, package and mail theft; suspicious vehicles cruising our hard to find hillside street; other cars seemingly abandoned on the Red Car Property; and most disturbingly, witnessed by multiple neighbors, a woman described as either on drugs or crazy, showing up inside at least one home on Corralitas Drive and another home on Riverside Place.  (Both times, homeowners confronted the woman, who did not know her.)  Only one of those events was witnessed as related to the homeless guy, but his presence only aggravates the general unease in the neighborhood.

Corralitas Neighbor #2, March 6, 2017.  Neighbors were surprised to see so many City trucks and police officers in the tunnel late in the day, March 6.  The homeless guy had been given notice by the City, at least 72 hours prior to the Dept of Sanitation regarding moving his property from the sidewalk.  

Corralitas Neighbor #2, March 6, 2017.  The City followed their standard policy to clean  the sidewalk.  The lengthy process to remove property from City sidewalk was initiated in January. Due to civil rights lawsuits, the City has a very specific policy related to removing the homeless' belongings from City property.

Photo: Corralitas Neighbor #2, March 7, 2017. Three hours after his camp was cleared by the City, the homeless guy returned.  Neighbors are getting hostile.  Remember, Rosebud Ave is the primary means of access to Corralitas Drive.  It is the only vehicle access. 

Corralitas Neighborhood Watch warned neighbors NOT to give handouts to the homeless guy as it was only encouraging him to stay.  Neighbors resumed their emails to CD13.  A representative assured us, the return was reported to PATH and the process resumed.

Photo: Corralitas Neighbor #3, March 9, 2017.  Less than 24 hours after the homeless guy's camp was cleared from under the 2 Freeway on Rosebud at Corralitas Drive, a new couch appeared.  The old couch was black.  This begs the question, who is delivering  couches to the homeless?  He did not get it here on his shopping cart.

Photo: Corralitas Neighbor #2, March 17, 2017.  Neighbors are frustrated as his pile of belongings and trash grows daily.  One neighbor said, "His collection grows every day...he is so in your face, as if that is now his property."  Other neighbors have witnessed suspicious activity.

Neighbors with children and single women have expressed fear and will no longer walk through the tunnel to reach Allesandro.  With such a small street, the homeless guy knows all of our schedules, cars and homes.  Neighbors are fed up.

CD13 is urging neighbors to report all suspicious and illicit activity to the LAPD.  Report dumping and graffiti to MyLA311.

It is not a crime to be homeless, nor is public urination.

Photo: Corralitas Neighbor #4, March 22, 2017.  It figures, in Silver Lake, we have hipster homeless.  Corralitas Neighbor #4 remarked, "I think our homeless guy has a subscription to dwell."

Clearly people in Silver Lake throw out too much stuff.  Instead of throwing your used home goods, clothing, toys and furniture in the trash, or giving the stuff you're tired of directly to the homeless guy, donate it to Out of the Closet, Goodwill or St Vincent de Paul.  All three have donation centers in Cypress Park or Lincoln Heights, freeway close and just minutes away.  

PATH outreach workers were seen again yesterday talking with the homeless guy who, so far, has refused to get off the street.

Related: City of LA Guidelines on Abandoned Property and Encampments (CD13)
PATH

Request a bulky item pick up, report illegal dumping, graffiti, street light outages, and other City Services: MyLA311

Earlier post: February 17, 2017