Venice supporters of special parking lots where RV dwellers would be able to stay overnight issued an “action alert” Monday calling out opponents for allegedly disseminating “propaganda” regarding the issue.

“Most outrageous have been claims of increased crimes such as arson, prostitution, drug sales, home invasion burglaries and even murder perpetrated by people in RV's,” states the alert by the Venice Action Alliance. “The LAPD acknowledges that there has never been one shred of evidence to support these claims. To the contrary, an RV-dweller was the person who identified the Venice arson suspect to the LAPD.”

The city's “Streets to Homes” program is a go, with Councilman Bill Rosendahl funding it to the tune of $750,000. The idea is to allow RV dwellers in his Westside district, specifically Venice, to park overnight in specified lots. Officials hope to have the program off the ground in late fall.

Opponents have been hammering the concept, saying that such rig-dwellers often bring crime, drugs and even prostitution with them wherever they go — and that putting them in lots near residential neighborhoods overnight is not going to solve the problems they create.

Indeed, the city of Los Angeles officially deems the RV issue in Venice “blight,” at least according to a recent filing by the City Attorney's office that seeks to overturn the California Coastal Commission's denial of residential permit parking for Venice.

But proponents of “Streets to Homes” say it's a humane way to retain and eventually house people who have a stake in the community without sweeping them under the rug.

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