Seeking to discourage homeless people from living in the San Fernando Valley’s Tujunga Wash, Los Angeles officials on Tuesday moved to consider banning encampments in the area.

The Los Angeles City Council unanimously voted to draft a new law that would bar tents and other makeshift homes from the Wash, a rural area at the edge of the Angeles National Forest. They also voted to immediately install “No Trespassing” signs.

The council’s action marks the most aggressive action yet by the city to clear out transients from the Wash, an issue that has persisted despite frequent police sweeps.

City Councilman Felipe Fuentes, who represents this pocket of the northeast Valley, called the situation a “health and human hazard.” He describing seeing generators, a five-gallon jug of gasoline and piles of trash during an event at the area Monday.

“We determined that there is a tremendous need … to do the proper postings of the Los Angeles municipal codes. We have determined that there is a tremendous need to do the clearance of the Wash,” Fuentes told his council colleagues.

The councilman’s motion was introduced with no advance notice on the day’s agenda, so the public had little chance to weigh in. Fuentes said he submitted the motion quickly at the advice of the Los Angeles Police Department and other city groups.

The ordinance, which will be drafted by the City Attorney’s office, must be heard before a committee and the City Council before final approval, said Fuentes spokeswoman Connie Llanos, adding that the public will be able to weigh in during that process.

For decades, transients have gathered at the Wash, part of a cycle of homelessness throughout the northeast San Fernando Valley. Some live in the Wash by choice, drawing complaints of lawlessness and drug use. Other reports detail a population of couples with pets and locals who’ve fallen on hard times.

The proposed law surprised Stephanie Klasky-Gamer, executive director of L.A. Family Housing, a homeless service provider and affordable-housing developer that has dealt for years with the homeless issue at the Wash. She took part in the same tour taken by Fuentes on Monday.

“A ban — does it mean you arrest people? We have made such strides … I don’t think it will be solved by a ban, by saying, ‘You can’t be here any more,’ ” Klasky-Gamer said.

She described the homeless living in the Wash as “deeply entrenched” in the area, noting that many of the residents are older.

Fuentes said his office was working with a number of local housing groups and called the effort a two-tier approach encompassing both outreach and enforcement.

The proposed ordinance follows a number of recent city moves to curb transients from living out in the open. Last year, Los Angeles strengthened laws banning tents in parks, prompting concerns from affordable-housing advocates that the city was unfairly punishing the homeless.

Joe Barrett, president of the local nonprofit Sunland-Tujunga Alliance, believes about 50 people are currently living in the Wash. The number is smaller than normal because of recent dam action that has stopped water flow in the area, he said.

Barrett described hearing gunshots and seeing trash pile up in the waterways.

“We support getting help for these people,” said Barrett, who backed the ban on encampments. “No one wants to go in and just drag these people out.”

The proposed law would only apply to the city-owned portion of the Wash. Other sections are owned by Los Angeles County and the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority.