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The homeless population in Los Angeles has increased by 16%, according to the LA City Council's Homeless and Poverty Committee.
Now, City Council members want to start looking into legal action that could reduce this problem. They are working on a proposal that would stop cities around Los Angeles from pushing their homeless population into the city.
The Los Angeles Times reports that, last year, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of appeals ruled that individuals sleeping on the streets could not be held "criminally responsible" if there are no shelters or other options.
Mike Bonin and Joe Buscaino, City Council members are working on legally trying to get cities surrounding Los Angeles to follow these laws.
They claim since Los Angeles allows people to sleep on the streets from 9 pm to 6 am, surrounding cities are actually dumping their homeless people in Los Angeles.
Bonin went on to say, "Instead of allowing people to sleep on their sidewalks, they are encouraging people, or compelling people, to move to the city of Los Angeles to do that".
Bonin and Buscaino say that Los Angeles is the only city that follows the District Court rule.
However, one of the neighboring cities, Culver City, is not experiencing homelessness on such a high level and they also have been following the district court rule.
Housing administrator for Culver City, Tevis Barnes, says, "Culver City respects the needs of homeless people and the great challenges they face in our society".
The John and Ken Show wanted to get Joe Buscaino on to talk about his and Bonin's allegations against these neighboring cities, but he cancelled last minute.