Local News in Brief : Beach Homeless Depart
About a dozen homeless people remained at Venice Beach on Tuesday morning in violation of a new city law, but they said they would accept vouchers for free housing and gradually left their campsites.
“I’ll take the vouchers, but when they run out I’ll just come back here,” said a man who called himself Gypsy. “I’ve been living here for 10 years.”
Gypsy, 30, said he supports himself by selling jewelry and castoff goods he finds in trash bins. He said he would probably return to the area and set up camp in alleys and empty lots.
A law approved by the Los Angeles City Council last year, which went into effect Sunday, bans camping on city beaches.
City officials said they would offer the vouchers for free housing at low-cost hotels and threatened to arrest those who refused to leave.
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