A settlement between city and civil liberties advocates has been reached which will allow homeless people to sleep on sidewalks at night if they do not block doors and drivewaysLos Angeles (EON) - A settlement between city and civil liberties advocates has been reached which will allow homeless people to sleep on sidewalks at night if they do not block doors and driveways.

The deal will allow homeless people to sleep on sidewalks between the hours of 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. Part of the rules state that they have to be at least 10 feet away from business and residential entrances and also cannot be involved in any criminal acts of any kind.

Councilwoman Jan Perry stated that “If someone is committing a crime, officers will continue to do their job and we will support them in doing that.”

This settlement resolved a lawsuit filed back in 2003 by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of six homeless people who wanted to change a 1968 law which did not allow them to sleep on sidewalks.

There are an estimated 48,000 homeless people in Los Angeles. The law still remains in effect to prohibit the homeless from sleeping on sidewalks during the day.