URGENT UPDATE: Residents of Lincoln Heights are demanding immediate action as abandoned RVs continue to plague Humboldt Street, contributing to rising crime, sewage issues, and public safety concerns. Frustration among locals has prompted a call to 7 On Your Side Investigates for answers from city leaders.
The situation on Humboldt Street has become dire, with residents like Stacy Vierheilig, who owns an industrial building filled with toys for underprivileged children, expressing their desperation. “This is not OK,” Vierheilig stated. Outside her property, pools of wastewater from the RVs have become a common sight, and security cameras have recorded alarming criminal activity, including a recent theft of copper wire from her air conditioning unit.
Just last night, Gabriel Perez from St. Vincent de Paul, located next to Vierheilig’s building, reported that break-ins occur almost every night. The rampant crime, including drug use and prostitution, poses a significant risk to employees and customers navigating the street, often forced to walk in the middle due to RVs blocking sidewalks.
“Every dollar spent on security is money taken away from our mission to serve those in need,” Perez lamented. The community’s safety concerns have prompted many business owners to fortify their properties with iron fences and security measures.
Local Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez acknowledged the issue’s severity, declaring it a top priority for her office. However, she recently voted against a new state law that would allow the city to remove more RVs, only changing the threshold for removal from $500 to $4,000. Hernandez stated, “I didn’t want to give constituents false hope that this is going to be the game changer around RVs in our city.”
Despite her reservations, Hernandez is pursuing funding to secure more beds for the homeless, aiming to address the root cause of the RV presence in the area. “I don’t have a timeline for when those RVs will not be on that street,” she added, emphasizing the need for comprehensive solutions.
As the community waits for concrete action, the fortification efforts continue. Vierheilig has installed a new iron fence, and Perez confirmed that St. Vincent de Paul will follow suit. Even with Hernandez’s opposition, the resolution to implement the new law passed, and city officials are currently strategizing its rollout, set to take effect next year.
The office of Mayor Karen Bass issued a statement, emphasizing the law as a “vital tool to address RV encampments across Los Angeles.” The mayor’s office stated that this effort signifies a break from the status quo that allowed the homelessness crisis to escalate over decades.
Residents and business owners on Humboldt Street are left grappling with an urgent and unresolved crisis, demanding immediate action from city leaders to restore safety and order to their community. As the situation develops, many are left wondering how long they will have to endure this ongoing struggle.
