The NFL is under fire after it was revealed that Los Angeles relocated homeless encampments outside of SoFi Stadium ahead of Sunday’s Super Bowl LVI.
Fox News correspondent Aishah Hasnie ripped into the league Saturday to ‘stop rewarding’ the big game to cities ‘that have to move their homeless population.’
‘What would help fight the homelessness crisis in Los Angeles is if we didn’t award Los Angeles a Super Bowl,’ Hasnie said.
‘Stop awarding and rewarding cities that have to move their homeless population to make superstars, rock stars, celebrities feel better about themselves when they go to the Rolling Stones’ party or the Maxim party.’
‘Stop awarding these cities the Super Bowls. You don’t have to give it to them. You can give it to a community that is actually trying to do something better about their town or city.’
Fox News correspondent Aishah Hasnie, pictured, ripped into the league Saturday to ‘stop rewarding’ the big game to cities ‘that have to move their homeless population’
Los Angeles sanitation crews tear down a homeless encampment, pictured above, near SoFi Stadium ahead of Sunday’s Super Bowl game
Hasnie added that the NFL had no reason to hold the Super Bowl ‘in a state that has to do this’
A sign warns against camping, loitering and littering at a homeless encampment beneath a freeway overpass near SoFi Stadium, where the Superbowl will be played
Host cities are well-known to reap financial benefits from holding such big events as the Super Bowl, with everything from vendors to restaurants and hotels and parking lots expected to benefit from Sunday’s game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals.
Super Bowl LVI is expected to deliver upwards of $52 million for the city of Inglewood, according to the LASEC, as thousands of out-of-state football fans descend upon Los Angeles County for the season’s biggest game, according to SB Nation.
Hasnie added that the NFL had no reason to hold the Super Bowl ‘in a state that has to do this,’ while citing the fact that Major League Baseball had moved its 2021 All-Star Game from Atlanta ‘because it thinks the state is racist.’
‘I just don’t get it. Stop rewarding these cities that don’t deserve it,’ she said.
Residents argued that homelessness is the top problem facing the county, with 94 percent of voters viewing it as a serious or very serious problem
Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Bonin has come under fire for what many call a lack of leadership and a lack of concern for the residents of Venice. He tweeted about the clean-up efforts on July 12
Hasnie’s comments come just days after a Venice Beach community organization warned Los Angeles officials that they’re liable for millions in payouts if the remaining homeless encampments aren’t cleared out, months after the city removed about 200 people from the boardwalk.
The Venice Stakeholders Association sent a letter to several city offices last week explaining that LA could face a number of expensive lawsuits if they fail to protect the safety of nearby residents.
Those who live in the area have complained about the garbage littering the boardwalk and the unchecked fires started by people camping outside.
Last January, a fire at a homeless tent near the beach spread to a vacant two-story building and completely destroyed it. It took 116 firefighters two hours to put it out.
The city cleared out about 200 people from the area over the summer, but the president of the Venice Stakeholders Association says about 70 people are still camping out overnight.
A Venice Beach community organization warned LA city officials that they may face million-dollar lawsuits if the area near Venice Beach isn’t kept clear of encampments. Above, the beach on June 29, 2021
Venice Beach, a popular tourist site, was home to about 2,000 homeless people in 2020
‘There’s almost no police presence or fire department presence down here overnight,’ said Ryavec, who leads the 11-year-old organization, in an interview with KABC.
‘We’re putting the city on notice, that, if there’s loss of life, if there’s a structure, they are clearly already negligent, and they already will face a huge settlement.’
There were 1,901 homeless people in the Venice area in 2020, according to the latest count conducted by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.
Ryavec says that LAPD and sanitation crews come by every Thursday, but that authorities have to come by at least three times a week to keep it completely clear.
‘It’s illegal to camp on Venice Beach,’ Ryavec said. ‘And we want that message established by enforcement of the rules that exist.’
A whopping 94 percent of people living in the City of Angels say homelessness is a serious or very serious problem.