LOS ANGELES, April 5 (UPI) -- In a major shift, the Los Angeles county board approved building five suburban shelters to end the concentration of homeless people in downtown Los Angeles.
The controversial $100 million plan coincides with city and state efforts to battle crime and blight in downtown Los Angeles, which has one the largest concentrations of homeless people in the United States, the Los Angeles Times reported.
County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky said the plan, approved on a 4-1 vote Tuesday, is a historic investment.
"We've got some momentum politically to do something about this, we've got some money to attach to that political momentum, and it may be an opportunity that will not pass our way again in our political lifetimes," he said.
Only Supervisor Mike Antonovich voted against the plan, citing concerns about costs and spreading the problem of some 88,000 homeless people.
While the county board rejected allowing local communities to veto specific locations, the plan says sites should be chosen "in cooperation" with local officials.
