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Opinion

L.A. needs to turn its attention to VA homeless encampment

If officials are going to concentrate on moving whole camps of homeless residents into housing, the West L.A. encampment is a good place to focus on. It shouldn’t take a killing to make that happen.

BRENTWOOD, CALIF. - SEPT. 15, 2021 - Sheriff's vehicles are seen on San Vicente Blvd. at the encampment outside the grounds of the VA on San Vicente Blvd. in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Brentwood on Sept. 15, 2021, hours after a resident of the camp was fatally stabbed. (Carla Hall / Los Angeles Times)

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department vehicles can be seen along San Vicente Boulevard near the homeless encampment outside the West L.A. Veterans Affairs campus. A veteran living in the encampment was stabbed to death Sept. 15.  (Carla Hall / Los Angeles Times)

By The Times Editorial Board
West L.A. homeless encampment

Police tape marks off a section of the encampment where a homeless veteran was killed Sept. 15. The homicide was the second one in the camp since April. Some nonprofit service providers and others who work on homelessness issues believe housing an entire encampment may be the best way forward in L.A. County, which has about 66,000 homeless people.  (Carla Hall / Los Angeles Times)

West L.A. homeless encampment

Shalise Garcia, who goes by the name Coco, lives in the West L.A. encampment with her boyfriend, a Marine veteran. “The sooner we get into housing the better,” she said.  (Carla Hall / Los Angeles Times)

Opinion
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