On August 16th, the City of LA turned off all of the water fountains on the western side of Echo Park--where the majority of the park’s unhoused community lives. The City also turned off water at MacArthur Park in Westlake, where about 4,000 unhoused individuals live. This removal of water access in and nearby unhoused communities is another example of the City’s blatant anti-homelessness efforts.

That same day, residents of Echo Park were denied access to the hose that hundreds of residents rely on for water because the city security office, without warning, “decided that they didn’t feel like” letting them use it. The office closed their gates and effectively closed off the community’s access to water--in the middle of a record-breaking heat wave, pandemic, and unprecedented housing crisis that leaves more folx unhoused every day.

Access to clean water is a basic human right. The unhoused community in Echo Park, like all other unhoused communities in LA, needs access to running water sources that provide clean water for hydration, a fundamental need that is massively exacerbated by surging temperatures of 100+ degrees and COVID health concerns. Unhoused folx are a vulnerable group most likely to be impacted by heat-related illnesses, like heatstroke and dehydration, that can be serious and life-threatening. Water access is also essential for consistent basic hygiene, handwashing, showering, cooking, and dishwashing.

We demand that the city turns back on the water fountains in Echo Park and MacArthur Park, and we demand that legitimate, concrete protocols are enacted to safeguard water sources from being made inaccessible in the future. Hold our elected officials accountable to never denying water access to anyone ever again and guaranteeing they will actively protect and prioritize the basic human rights of unhoused folx.

PLEASE SIGN AND SHARE this petition!! Help us demand that Mayor Garcetti and the City of LA turn the water fountains back on and safeguard water access in Echo Park and MacArthur Park. 

Follow Echo Park Rise Up on instagram at @echoparkriseup to stay informed on what’s happening there and what the community needs! 

Right now they are looking for donations such as: ICE (for coolers with fresh produce and other food), WATER, SURVIVAL GOODS (sunscreen, bug spray, portable power stations, etc.), and TENTS. They are also in urgent need of BUTANE GAS. Any amount will help.

For more information on survival goods/tents/showers, go to their instagram and click the linktr/ee in their bio!

How to donate to Echo Park Rise Up: Cash App is $Aymanahme 

PayPal is paypal.me/echoparkriseup