Business improvement districts in the Valley region have countered a controversial study published last year that argues BIDs exclude homeless people from public space through anti-homelessness advocacy and policing, pointing out the positive steps BIDs have taken to address the crisis. The study from the Policy Advocacy Clinic at University of California – Berkeley used information compiled by law students for the Western Regional Advocacy Project, a San Francisco homeless advocacy group. The Sept. 18 publication argued that the homeless are impacted by BID-funded safety patrols, as space is no longer available to them on public streets. Mary Paterson, executive director at the Canoga Park Improvement Association, No. 14 on the Business Journal’s list of Business Improvement Districts, said the organization primarily focuses on illegal activity, including break-ins, graffiti and copper theft. In the event BID’s security patrols encounter homeless people, there is a protocol in place to let Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority know about the situation. “(LAHSA) will come out and talk with the individual and find out how they can help,” Paterson explained. “If a person appears addicted, we have asked if they would like to seek recovery services. If they are on the streets during cold weather, we have asked if they were interested in going to a cold weather shelter, of which there is only one we know of in the San Fernando Valley.” Paterson also serves on the Canoga Park Neighborhood Council, which houses a Homeless Solutions Committee. “Our Homeless Solutions Committee is looking for ways to serve this community. We have homeless representatives as part of the council, so generally I would say our community is focused on solutions,” Paterson added. Other BIDs in the Valley that make street safety a priority include Glendale Community Benefit District, No. 3 on the list; North Hollywood Business Improvement District, No. 6; and Chatsworth Business Improvement District, No. 17. The NoHo BID funds a Safety Ambassador Program and Clean Team Program with ambassadors, a cross between a neighborhood watch and mall cops, who work seven days a week to ensure public spaces, like the North Hollywood Metro Station, remain safe. The ambassadors sport yellow shirts and serve as the “eyes and ears of the NoHo BID by observing, reporting and working with local law enforcement,” according to the organization’s website. The Clean Team removes 854 pounds of trash daily, servicing 50 public trach cans, and responds to member requests like graffiti removal. Woolsey Fire aftermath BIDs in the region have other issues besides the homeless crisis. The Conejo Valley Tourism Improvement District, for instance, is working to ensure tourism remains strong after the Woolsey Fire. Traditional BIDs impose a special tax on businesses within a specified geographical area and use the funds to improve business conditions within the zone. Another variety is the tourism business improvement district, or TBID, which works to bring visitors to a region through marketing efforts. Funding for TBID usually involves a special hotel bed tax. Conejo’s efforts to promote special attractions, such as the Malibu Wine Safari and William Rolland Art Gallery, highlight what TBIDs accomplish through successful marketing campaigns. “We as the tourism agency for the area have made it our goal to show everybody outside the area that we’re still here, we’re open for business and we’re welcoming travelers,” said Adam Haverstock, director of government affairs and tourism for the Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce. “We’re actually bringing some travel writers into the area this week and taking them around to different attractions in the Conejo Valley, showing them different things to do in the area, and hopefully showing them that it didn’t burn down and it’s a great place that people still come visit.” Haverstock, who also serves as staff lead for the tourism district, mentioned the organization is working on a mobile-friendly website to attract potential travelers to the area. And it’s planning for increased hotel stay during the 2028 Olympics with newly finished and upcoming projects. Currently, Ventura County Lodging Association ranks No. 1 on the Business Journal’s BID list. The association, which is headquartered in Ventura, covers Oxnard, Ventura, Camarillo and Port Hueneme. The TBID has an increased budget for 2019 at $2.5 million.