New plan would help homeless people keep their RVs clean

The rise in the number of people living in RVs across the city has highlighted a stunning lack of facilities available to maintain sanitary living conditions—namely, publicly accessible dump stations. A motion proposed yesterday by Los Angeles City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield aims to make it easier for people living in RVs to keep their temporary living spaces clean.

The motion proposes that the city look into partnering with a contractor that would offer waste dump services for people living in motorhomes and recreational vehicles and who are enrolled in housing placement services, as well as those on the wait list for towing.

“This would improve the quality of life for all residents,” the motion states.

The motion notes that right now there are are only two public RV dump stations in the city of LA. “This makes it very difficult for individuals who live in their recreational vehicles to maintain them in good sanitary condition and creates a hazardous health issue for residents in the neighborhood and beyond,” it says.

It’s also an issue for workers who tow away the RVs when they violate the 72-hour limit for street parking. The city is now facing a backlog of RV tow requests, because many tow companies are refusing to haul away the motorhomes, citing pests and “overflowing or leaking sewer tanks.”

According to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, there people living in 2,363 RVs across the city.

Blumenfield’s motion will move on to the Homelessness and Poverty committee.

• As LA’s homeless population surges, tow companies refuse to tow RVs [Curbed LA]