A homeless encampment has quietly reassembled at the busy intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard and Westwood Boulevard, neighbors say, just months after city crews cleared the spot. Residents and workers describe a now-familiar cycle: sweeps, a brief lull, then tents, trash and personal belongings back along sidewalks heavily used by UCLA students, commuters and shoppers. The return has sharpened calls for something more durable that blends enforcement with real housing options and outreach.
According to FOX 11 Los Angeles, city crews cleared the corner in mid-January, yet multiple people were again sleeping at the same intersection by Monday night. The station interviewed people staying there who said outreach workers had offered shelter beds, but some turned them down, saying they felt safer remaining at the intersection. FOX 11 Los Angeles also reported that city crews and police were expected to return for another cleanup.
UCLA has been pulled directly into the response. Volunteers from the campus and nearby neighborhoods joined the local count and outreach efforts; UCLA Newsroom reported that more than 160 volunteers fanned out across Westwood in late January to tally people living outside and connect them to services. The university’s involvement underscores how the community around UCLA has become a front-line focus for both data collection and direct engagement.
Why Cleanups Do Not Stick
On paper, the region is making headway, even as stubborn corners like this one keep resurfacing. LAHSA reported in 2025 that unsheltered homelessness fell for a second consecutive year across Los Angeles County. Yet officials and outreach workers say that when cleanups are not paired with lasting placements, people frequently move a short distance or drift back as soon as crews leave. Advocates warn that without interim or permanent housing and ongoing case management, encampment sites are easily “reseeded” and the cycle repeats.
Officials Weigh No-Camping Signage
Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky’s office has said it is working on signage that would formally mark the Westwood intersection as a no-camping zone under Los Angeles’ current enforcement rules. Reporting in the Beverly Press noted that 41.18 designations require advance notice, expand protections around sensitive locations, and cannot be enforced until signs are posted. City officials say the planned signs are meant to be part of a broader package that pairs targeted enforcement with offers of shelter and services.
Neighbors And Businesses
Neighbors and local workers told FOX 11 Los Angeles that the returning encampment has again blocked sidewalks and slowed foot traffic at the corner. One worker described the situation as “turning into a nightmare, really.” The outlet documented trash, discarded furniture and makeshift shelters extending onto walkways near a Peet’s Coffee patio at the intersection. Merchants say the recurring sweeps feel like a temporary patch rather than a solution without additional housing options and stronger case management to keep people indoors.
What To Watch
Two developments will signal whether this cleanup cycle plays out any differently: when no-camping signs actually go up and how many people outreach teams report placing into shelter or housing. Local counts and LAHSA dashboards show that the region can notch measurable gains when housing offers and supportive services are available, but the agency also cautions that targeted outreach has to continue well after visible numbers improve. In Westwood, that means the work is likely to continue long after the tents are cleared from the corner, and possibly long after they return again.
