On Venice Boulevard, a long-standing encampment populates the sidewalks and median beneath the imposing 405 overpass. Like many of our unhoused neighbors in Los Angeles, the folks living on Venice face relentless scrutiny from much of the surrounding housed community. In 2020, after a series of fires and violent incidents took place in the underpass, a familiar debate flared about appropriate services that should be directed to the encampment. Years later, as the gears of policy, bureaucracy and public discourse continue to turn, the folks living in the underpass remain in their semi-permanent community, existing under constant threat of forcible removal.

A few blocks to the south of Venice Boulevard, Culver Boulevard passes beneath the 405 as well, creating a similar underpass. Unlike Venice, however, Culver’s sidewalks and median are completely devoid of tents, belongings or people. On the occasion that a tent or structure does arise, it rarely stays longer than a couple of days. The difference is striking, but not random.

Though geographically close, the underpasses exist in different political worlds. Most of the Venice Boulevard underpass lies within the city of Los Angeles, while all of the Culver one lies in historically exclusionary Culver City. As a result, policy, enforcement and outreach are carried out differently between the two underpasses. The disparities are glaring, though not unique in LA.

Across the patchwork of cities and towns that make up Los Angeles, the responsibility to house fellow Angelenos is not shared equally. Some local governments, oftentimes at the will of their constituents, enact policies that make their cities inhospitable to members of the unhoused population, thereby pushing responsibility beyond their borders. I propose an article examining this phenomenon, taken through the lens of the underpasses on Venice and Culver. By documenting the decisions and political considerations that created these underpasses in the state they are today, I intend to tell a story that will provide some insight into the broader landscape of homelessness policy in Los Angeles.

To introduce myself, I am a writer and former housing professional based on the Westside of LA. I grew up in Los Angeles and recently moved home to the city I love. During my time away, I spent years working with vulnerable communities in San Francisco, Seattle and the American South. I learned a lot in those places, but I always longed to return to my city and tell its stories. So now here I am, hoping to do just that.

I have had the pleasure of working with folks at Shelterforce in the past (https://shelterforce.org/2022/06/10/two-paths-to-density-profit-vs-people/ ) and would appreciate the opportunity to do so again.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Daniel Hennessy