In Homeless Crisis, California ‘Is Waging a War on R.V.s’

On any given night in California, estimates suggest, roughly 34,000 homeless people will take shelter in their vehicles. Tori Larett, a homeless rights lawyer in Sacramento, thinks the real number is double that. For half of them, their home is a recreational vehicle, converted bus or travel trailer parked on the street.

In January, a new California law went into effect in Los Angeles and Alameda Counties, allowing the authorities to quickly demolish oversize vehicles worth up to $4,000, up from $500, if the owner cannot move the vehicle without help from a tow truck.

“The whole state is waging a war on R.V.s right now,” said Ms. Larett, who is also the research director at the National Vehicle Residency Coalition.

For three cloudless days in March, Sam Lutzker and I crisscrossed Los Angeles hearing stories about life in R.V.s. Mr. Lutzker, 33, has weeks left before three years of field research for a Ph.D. in sociology at U.C.L.A. gives way to writing his thesis. “I care about these individuals deeply,” he said.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/24/us/california-homeless-cars-rvs.html