Parents and neighbors in South Los Angeles say a homeless encampment under the I-110 freeway, about a block from 61st Street Elementary, is turning a simple walk to school into a daily safety test. A cluster of tents, piles of trash and reports of threatening behavior have families on edge during morning drop-offs and afternoon pickups.
According to FOX 11 Los Angeles, city crews cleared the site on Wednesday, only for people to return within hours. The station reported trash quickly reappearing and captured an active fire burning over what looked like motor oil. Neighbors also told the outlet about a man in the area who is often seen carrying a machete. Parent Karen Gutierrez said she has repeatedly filed reports through 311 and the MyLA311 app about fires and other hazards near the underpass.
Why Cleanups Rarely Stick
City sanitation and outreach teams conduct targeted cleanups that are supposed to remove hazardous materials and connect people to services, a strategy the City Attorney's Office describes as part of broader efforts such as Inside Safe. Human Rights Watch and other advocates have warned that these kinds of sweeps and short-term cleanings often fail to produce permanent housing, and that tents and debris tend to reappear once crews leave. Neighbors say that cycle is playing out under the I-110, where the same stretch keeps filling up again despite repeated complaints.
Residents Push For More Than Quick Sweeps
Local residents say they have been calling Council District 9 and the school about the encampment since 2021 and have seen only temporary fixes, according to FOX 11 Los Angeles. The station also reported that it reached out to the office of Councilmember Curren Price and to the Los Angeles Unified School District for comment but had not received responses by the time of publication.
How Families Can Report Problems
Parents who spot hazards along the route to school can file complaints through the city's MyLA311 portal or app, which accepts reports about encampments and illegal dumping. Sixty-First Street Elementary is listed on the Los Angeles Unified School District site at 61st Street Elementary, placing students within a short walk of the freeway underpass. City officials have promoted Inside Safe and related outreach efforts, described by the City Attorney's Office as programs designed to bring people indoors and coordinate services, but neighbors say those measures have not stopped encampments from returning.
For now, parents say each cleanup feels like a temporary patch. They are calling for steady outreach, regular sanitation and real housing pathways that keep the route to school clear and safe. Community members say they plan to keep documenting conditions and pressing elected officials until families no longer have to worry about what their kids might encounter on the way to class.
