Barge for Homeless Plan Killed

A controversial proposal to buy or lease an aging barge to house up to 400 of Los Angeles’ homeless was killed today by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. Voting 2 to 1, with three votes required, the board rejected the idea first proposed by a Sacramento firm that the barge, once used by the Navy but more recently as living quarters for cannery workers in Alaska, be moored somewhere in Los Angeles Harbor.

Supporting a feasibility study were Supervisors Deane Dana and Pete Schabarum. Two supervisors were absent. The proposal was attacked by homeless representatives who argued instead for greater county efforts to provide additional general relief funding and more jobs as a long-term solution to homelessness. Supervisor Mike Antonovich, who cast the only dissenting vote, said a better idea would be to work for additional state and federal funding.