West LA residents frustrated as homeless camp returns hours after being cleared

Powerless and frustrated West LA residents say city cleanups are doing little to stop a revolving door of homelessness at a prominent Los Angeles intersection — with encampments reappearing just hours after being dismantled.

Last month, sanitation crews swept through the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and Westwood Boulevard, hauling away tents, trash and scattered belongings, Fox 11 LA reported.

But neighbors say the relief was short-lived.

By the end of the day, people had already begun setting up again — restarting a cycle locals say has repeated multiple times.

“It’s turning into a nightmare,” Paul Spurrier, who both lives and works nearby told the network. “You think this is one of the nicer parts of L.A., and then you see this.”

On Monday night, several individuals were seen bedding down at the intersection, with at least 10 encampments, as observed by a Fox reporter.

Sidewalks were cluttered with bottles, broken furniture, scrap metal and piles of debris stretching along the curb.

Some of the people staying there insist they aren’t going anywhere.

“We’ve been here. We haven’t left yet,” Larry, who said he has lived on the streets for roughly five years told Fox.

Another unhoused man, Derek, said the location draws people back because it feels relatively secure.

“It’s the safest place to be where you’re not right in front of a business,” he added.

Both men acknowledged they have been offered shelter beds in the past. Derek said outreach workers frequently approach him, but he declines assistance. Larry said he chooses to remain outside in part to support others living on the street.

For nearby homeowners and business operators, the repeated returns have fueled mounting frustration.

Food containers and trash were scattered across the pavement, and what looked like a makeshift weapon fashioned from plant material lay among the debris, in a video shared by the local tv station.

City crews are expected to conduct another cleanup, though neighbors say past efforts have provided only temporary relief.

A spokesperson for Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky told Fox her office is preparing to install signage formally designating the intersection as a no-camping zone. Once posted, officials say enforcement action could follow.

For now, residents say they feel stuck in an exhausting loop — watching encampments disappear and reappear in the same high-end neighborhood with little lasting change.

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