To: Steve Hilton, Candidate for Governor of California; Mike Netter, Candidate for California State Senate
Dear Mr. Hilton and Mr. Netter,
I respectfully request the opportunity to meet with you to present what I believe is a practical, strategic, and nationally scalable framework for addressing California’s visible homelessness crisis before the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
I have devoted more than 41 years to this issue, beginning on January 2, 1985, when I voluntarily entered Skid Row and founded Justiceville, the nationally recognized homeless encampment on Gladys Street in downtown Los Angeles. That effort helped reshape the national conversation about homelessness and brought sustained public attention to the realities facing unsheltered Americans.
My work began in the aftermath of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, when homeless individuals were largely pushed away from Olympic venues to minimize their visibility before the world. Rather than addressing the underlying causes, the problem was simply displaced. Four decades later, California faces a far larger version of that same challenge.
Throughout these years, I have consistently advanced three strategic principles that I believe remain essential today.
First, homelessness cannot be solved by isolated cities acting independently. It requires presidential leadership through a coordinated national strategy that aligns federal, state, county, municipal, private-sector, nonprofit, and faith-based efforts into one unified operational framework. I envision something comparable to a domestic Marshall Plan—driven primarily through private investment and strategic partnerships rather than perpetual taxpayer-funded expansion.
Second, land is the indispensable element. Without access to affordable land, every housing strategy becomes increasingly expensive and ultimately unsustainable. I have long advocated the responsible use of surplus federal lands and properties for the development of new, voluntary, master-planned communities that combine housing, employment, healthcare, education, business development, and public services. Such communities would provide long-term opportunities rather than temporary management of homelessness.
Third, I warned decades ago that if homelessness were viewed as merely a “Skid Row problem,” it would eventually spread throughout Los Angeles, California, and the nation. Unfortunately, that prediction has become reality. Today’s encampment crisis demonstrates the need for a comprehensive strategy that addresses root causes rather than continually responding to visible symptoms.
My proposals are informed not only by decades of field experience but also by documented strategic planning efforts, including the 1999 Joint Statement and Action Plan (JSAP) developed through the Ad Hoc Law Enforcement Working Group. Many of its recommendations remain highly relevant today, featuring the era’s legendary top cops of California and LA City-County
Building upon that foundation, I have developed EXODUS II: The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics Homeless Resolution Initiative, a comprehensive strategy that seeks to transform the approaching Olympic Games from a public-relations challenge into a historic opportunity for lasting reform.
I believe this initiative can offer any public official—regardless of political party—a serious, practical framework for addressing one of California’s most pressing public policy challenges. My objective is not political advantage but effective implementation.
I respectfully request an opportunity to meet with you and your policy team to present these materials and discuss how they may contribute to your efforts to address homelessness in California.
Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to the opportunity to speak with you.
Ted Hayes
Founder, Justiceville (1985)
Creator, Dome Village
Developer, EXODUS II: 2028 Los Angeles Olympics Homeless Resolution Initiative
Selected Resources
- EXODUS II Overview: https://domevillage.us/shortsum/
- New Frontier II (Federal Lands): https://nf2now.com/fedl/
- JFK Moon Shot Analogy: https://nf2now.com/jfk-msv/
- Government Chartered Planned Townships: https://domesticpeacecorps.org/town/
- Domestic Marshall Plan: https://domesticpeacecorps.org/marsplan/
- Mainstream Resistance: https://domesticpeacecorps.org/mstr/
Documentaries
- Justiceville (1988 Emmy Award documentary):
Part I: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sp_7bZjRLTY&t=192s
Part II: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LfsfqOoAGc - Eyewitness: Dome Village (five-part documentary):
https://tubitv.com/tv-shows/648040/s01-e05-episode-5