Judge Orders Los Angeles to Move Homeless People Away From Freeways

A federal judge on Friday ordered the Los Angeles authorities to move thousands of homeless people away from freeways and their ramps because of the particularly deadly hazards in those areas, including pollutants, passing cars and potential earthquakes.

Judge David O. Carter said the county and city governments must provide alternative shelter to the 6,000 to 7,000 people who live under the freeways and on exit and entrance ramps.

He said the temporary injunction would go into effect on May 22, but a provision allows the parties to submit an alternative agreement by Tuesday, which the judge would then review.

The ruling came in response to a lawsuit from the L.A. Alliance for Human Rights, which argued that the authorities were illegally mistreating the roughly 60,000 homeless people who live in the region.

“As with many issues involving individuals experiencing homelessness, no party appears to be addressing this problem with any urgency,” Judge Carter wrote, noting that both sides in the lawsuit agreed that the living situation was dangerous.

Judge Carter said that in addition to the obvious danger of passing cars, vehicle pollutants could shorten the lives of people who live near freeways by decades. He added that an earthquake could cause the roads to collapse, with catastrophic results.

The homeless people who live near these freeways must be moved to shelters that allow for appropriate social distancing amid the coronavirus pandemic, Judge Carter wrote. He said that adequate showers and sinks were also necessary, as well as nurses who could test for communicable diseases such as Covid-19.

He also said the city and county must not take away people’s belongings while moving them and must give them advance notice of the move.

After the Los Angeles authorities move homeless people away from the freeway, they will be allowed to order people who return to leave and may enforce “anti-camping” laws, the judge said.

Mayor Eric Garcetti learned about the judge’s order during his daily coronavirus news conference on Friday. He said the judge, homeless advocates, businesses and the government all share a concern for homeless people subjected to the health hazards of living near a freeway.

Alex Comisar, a spokesman for the mayor, said in a statement that the city was discussing a possible settlement with the people who had sued.

Daniel Conway, a policy adviser for the alliance of residents whose lawsuit led to the order, said he was thrilled by the judge’s move and hoped that the injunction would serve as a model for future rulings about hazardous living conditions.

“It’s not hard to see how a very similar analysis could apply to a number of places,” Mr. Conway said.

Mr. Conway acknowledged that the challenge the judge had given the city and county was “herculean,” but he said it was a sign that improving the living conditions of many homeless people required drastic action.