A Los Angeles City Council committee voted Nov. 10 to advance a motion for a citywide plan on public toilets, hand-washing stations and permanent water spigots. The full council must still approve it, and the first focus would be Skid Row.
The Homelessness and Health Committee took up the motion at City Hall on Tuesday morning. Council members Nithya Raman and Ysabel Jurado introduced it in October. If the council adopts it, city departments would have 60 days to report back with recommendations.
What the motion asks the city to do
The motion directs the City Administrative Officer, the Bureau of Street Services, the Bureau of Sanitation, the Department of Water and Power and the Board of Public Works to build the plan. They would consult with Metro. Together, they would study where the city can add toilets and sinks, and how it can pay to keep them running.
It also asks staff to review restrooms and hand-washing facilities on city- and county-owned land, including near Metro station entrances. In addition, it requests an update on the LADWP Hydration Station Initiative and possible partnerships to add refill stations.
One item is a public-private idea. The Hollywood Partnership would fund and run 40 public bathroom stalls in a city parking garage at 1627 Vine St. Staff would also check whether money from the state Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program could help. Separately, the motion asks for stable funding to keep Skid Row toilets open, whatever the timeline for the larger plan.
Why the city has so few public toilets
The numbers explain the push. A 2021 contract with Outfront/JCDecaux allowed up to 150 automated public toilets. The company installed 14. When the contract ended, the city had to replace 13 of them because the company owned the units.
Because of funding limits since fiscal year 2025-26, only four of those replacements work today. As a result, many people on Skid Row have few options at night. The motion says that for some, “using the restroom outdoors may be the only viable option.” The city sanitation division also collected and disposed of more than 70 tons of human waste from public right-of-way in 2025, according to the motion.
This is not a new problem. An earlier council file, 25-0960 from August 2025, asked for money to keep four Skid Row toilets running because the adopted budget left them out.
What happens next
First, the full City Council has to schedule and vote on the motion. If it passes, the departments report back within 60 days. Their report would then set out costs, locations and funding sources. The motion gives no cost estimate yet, so any price tag comes later.
So residents will not see new toilets right away. Still, the 60-day report is the step that would put real locations and numbers on the table. For more city coverage, see our Los Angeles guide. You can also read how LAUSD is handling school closure input in a separate story.
This is general information about a city proposal. Dates and details may change as the council acts.