In a pivotal legal settlement, the city of Los Angeles has agreed that it won’t put a ceiling on the total amount of property that homeless people can keep on skid row, but will throw away sofas, refrigerators and other large items crowding the squalid 50-block area of downtown.

The agreement, released Wednesday and reached after months of closed-door negotiations, applies only to skid row and adjoining streets.

It covers an area bounded by 2nd Street on the north, 8th Street on the south, Spring Street on the west and Alameda Street on the east. Spring and 2nd streets are heavily traveled commercial streets, with a high concentration of shops, restaurants and pedestrian activity.

Under the settlement terms, the city will have the authority to seize and destroy contraband, hazardous materials or rat-infested property that threatens public health and safety, as well as so-called “bulky items” — pallets, refrigerators, couches or other types of furniture.

Read the full story on LATimes.com.