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The blight of homeless encampments in Hollywood has prompted some businesses to try a new tactic.
Large planters, most containing cacti and other succulents, have begun sprouting up in front of storefronts and offices along Hollywood and Sunset boulevards.
Businesses hope the new makeshift landscaping will deter people experiencing homelessness from setting up tents – or at least make it more difficult for the encampments to grow and overtake entire sidewalks.
A homeless encampment in Hollywood is seen on May 13, 2024. (KTLA)Planters containing catcus are seen in Hollywood on May 13, 2024. (KTLA)Businesses in Hollywood along Sunset Boulevard paid to install planters on the sidewalks to deter homeless encampments. These images were shot on May 12, 2024. (KTLA)Businesses in Hollywood along Sunset Boulevard paid to install planters on the sidewalks to deter homeless encampments. These images were shot on May 12, 2024. (KTLA)
“It keeps things cleaner and gives [the homeless] less space to move them around,” local resident Bensher Leandre told KTLA 5’s Chip Yost.
“I think it’s a good idea,” said Pear Parsons.
Some of the planters can be found in front of The Assistance League of Los Angeles, a nonprofit that helps homeless and low-income children, the Sunset Sound music studio and Harbor Freight.
It is too early to know if the experiment will work. The Assistance League says around five planters have already been stolen.