In West Hollywood, a new device called the "Blue Chirper" is stirring controversy as it aims to deter homeless individuals from settling near businesses.
Invented by Santa Monica resident Stephen McMahon, the device emits a chirping sound and flashes blue light when it detects motion. McMahon describes it as a non-aggressive deterrent.
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"We’re not trying to punish anybody," he told NBC Los Angeles. "We’re just trying to divert them."
‘A jerk’s first response to people living on the street’
The Blue Chirper, priced at about $400, was developed after McMahon experienced homeless encampments outside his condominium complex’s storage area. He also noted a break-in and a neighbor with her infant daughter being assaulted, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Local news channel KTLA5 says McMahon has sold about two dozen devices to business owners and residents in various Southern California locations, including the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica.
In West Hollywood, it was recently placed near a Trader Joe’s on Santa Monica Boulevard. While some area residents appreciate the effort to keep sidewalks clear, others find the constant chirping and flashing lights disruptive.
“It’s so annoying,” grocery shopper Jeffrey Howard told the Los Angeles Times. “It’s like an alarm from a smoke detector that you’re just waiting for somebody to turn off.”
Another shopper, Travis Adam Wright, called it a bad look for West Hollywood. It feels like “a jerk’s first response to people living on the street,” he said.
The city has received no official complaints, but a code enforcement officer is set to assess the situation.
As one local woman pointed out, it may be more impactful to address the root of the issue rather than just one symptom.
“It makes me sad that that’s what we’re doing to get people to move on. On the other hand, this is someone’s business, it’s their livelihood,” she told NBC. “We need just a better solution to the homeless situation.”
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Homelessness: A national issue
This local initiative comes amid a national surge in homelessness. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), over 770,000 people were experiencing homelessness on a single night in January 2024, marking the largest number since data collection began and 19% more than in 2007.
Factors contributing to this rise include rising inflation, stagnating wages among middle- and lower-income households and a severe shortage of affordable housing, with median rent increasing by 18% since 2020, says the National Alliance to End Homelessness, and a deficit of over 7 million affordable rental homes nationwide, according to National Low Income Housing Coalition estimates.
Notably, the baby boomer generation is facing homelessness at unprecedented rates. People aged 65 and older are now the fastest-growing group among the homeless population, with Justice in Aging projections indicating their numbers will peak by 2030. Many in this demographic struggle with rising housing costs on fixed incomes.
In fact, in the 2024 HUD report, about one in five people experiencing homelessness on a single night was 55 or older. Almost half of adults in this age group (46%) were experiencing homelessness in "places not meant for human habitation."
While a chirper may get rid of people occupying public stairways, it does nothing to address the broader issue at large — and a substantial solution remains to be seen.
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