“Keep Moving”: West LA Vehicle Residents Survey

“Keep Moving”: The West LA Vehicle Residents Survey reports findings from a face-to-face survey of 99 vehicle residents residing in West Los Angeles. Conducted by Venice Justice Committee organizers over a one year period beginning in early 2024, the survey asked questions about pathways to vehicle residency and resident demographics, experiences with governing authorities and social services, vehicle condition and mobility, and shelter/housing program experiences and preferences, among other related topics. The report finds that the policies employed by city and county authorities to resolve visible instances of vehicular homelessness often harm vehicle residents and don’t deliver on their promises. The vehicle dwelling is a personal safety net in the absence of a sufficient social safety net. But vehicle residents are forced into adopting mobility due to various forms of criminalization, with social services outreach both inadequate and inconsistent. While governments across California and beyond expand policies of displacement and dispossession of vehicle residents, parking stability paired with supportive services that enable access to affordable housing offers an alternative vision. Methodologically, the West LA Vehicle Residents Survey is a testament to the power of community-engaged scholarship to challenge dominant narratives and policy paradigms.

Download >> “Keep Moving”: West LA Vehicle Residents Survey (Published June 25, 2025)

Watch >> Virtual Launch of the “Keep Moving” Presentation and Report (June 25, 2025)