Courtesy photo.
Los Angeles County officials announced they moved 69 homeless individuals from encampments around MacArthur Park into interim housing on May 14, marking the latest effort in what authorities call their “Pathway Home” program. The operation, conducted in partnership with the City of Los Angeles, targeted the predominantly Latino Westlake neighborhood where the iconic park sits.
County Supervisor Hilda Solis and Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez framed the sweep as a compassionate response to homelessness, emphasizing their focus on individuals experiencing “extensive periods” of homelessness or significant health issues. The officials highlighted their collaboration as crossing jurisdictional boundaries to serve vulnerable populations.
However, the operation raises familiar questions about the effectiveness of encampment clearances that have become routine across Los Angeles. While officials tout success metrics—claiming 1,520 people housed through Pathway Home since August 2023—the program’s long-term outcomes remain unclear. County data shows only 265 of those individuals have secured permanent housing, representing just 17% of those initially moved into interim facilities.
The MacArthur Park area has long struggled with visible homelessness, creating tension between housed residents seeking relief and advocates who question whether sweeps address root causes. The neighborhood’s working-class Latino families often face their own housing pressures, with many paying high rents for overcrowded apartments while watching encampments grow nearby.
Officials secured a nearby motel for interim housing and emphasized the weeks of outreach preceding the operation. They described connecting residents with comprehensive services including mental health support, substance abuse treatment, and healthcare. The County’s Emergency Centralized Response Center coordinated with multiple city departments and nonprofit organizations.
The program operates primarily through Measure H funding, a quarter-cent sales tax approved by voters in 2017. Starting July 2025, it will transition to Measure A, a newer half-cent tax that replaces the original measure. This funding also covers debris removal and site security costs.
Critics of encampment clearances argue they often shuffle homeless individuals between locations without addressing underlying issues like affordable housing shortages and inadequate mental health services. The operations can also disrupt established community networks among unhoused residents.
For MacArthur Park’s housed residents, many of whom are Latino immigrants working multiple jobs to afford rent in an expensive city, the encampment removals may provide temporary relief. Whether this latest operation represents genuine progress toward ending homelessness or simply relocates a visible problem remains to be seen.
The success of Pathway Home will ultimately be measured not by the number of people initially moved, but by how many achieve stable, permanent housing in a city where such outcomes have proven elusive.
