Homeless People Patrol Venice for Potholes

In response to Mayor Villaraigosa’s call this month for Los Angelenos to support the city’s campaign of pothole-filling, a group of Venice's homeless community gathered Thursday to report potholes in the neighborhood. 

The homeless people and local residents gathered on the sidewalk in front of the “Binoculars Building” in an effort to seek broader Venice support for the local homeless population. They spent almost two hours recording the neighborhood's potholes.

The idea was the brainchild of David Ewing, Barbara Peck and David Busch. Busch, who is in his mid-50s and has been homeless since 1992, is one of the founders of Venice Community Unity. The group aims to dispel the increasingly negative perception of the homeless population, he said. 

Busch has lived in Southern California all of his life. Born in the San Gabriel Valley, he sees Venice as the last integrated beach community in Los Angeles. “Venice is an artist colony and place of freedom,” Busch said. “We are trying to preserve this community.”

Although Busch said most residents are supportive of the artistic and free spirit Venice is known for, “There are a few vocal folks that threaten the city with lawsuits and call the police department complaining about car parking.”

Godfather, another homeless activist, also joined the effort Thursday. He spent 25 years as a contractor but when the “depression” hit he began to live in his vehicle and now survives on $950 a month. He has seen many of his friends descend into poverty as well. “The pain of what's happening is not on the lower level. It's the middle class,” Godfather said. “It's devastating for parents to move into a tent. It's devastating for teenagers to lose their sense of reality and life.”

Ewing, a Venice homeowner who has lived in the community for 34 years, saw the event as a chance for local homeless people and residents to do something together to make a positive statement. “Instead of pointing fingers at each other, we’re pointing out potholes to help fix our neighborhood," Ewing said.

"People don't realize the homeless have a tough time surviving as homeless. They are subjected to assaults, their vehicles have threats written on them, gravel poured in their gas tanks, windows broken," he said. 

Ewing and Busch both mentioned Councilman Bill Rosendahl's when discussing the issue of RVs in Venice. Roadmap to Housing is a program that aims to help people living in their cars or campers on the streets find permanent housing. Rosendahl has proposed eight spaces at Penmar Golf Course for such vehicles.

Ewing lives near the course and said his neighbors are concerned about allowing the RVs to park permanently there. Eight spaces are not enough, he contends.

After the pothole walk, a dinner was served in the community room of Venice Community Housing, a nonprofit organization that offers affordable housing and skills training.