Mayor Asks Citizens To Help Buy Housing For Homeless
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass delivered her annual State of the City address on Monday, focusing on the city's ongoing struggle with homelessness. With over 40,000 homeless people living on the streets, the Democratic leader described the situation as a "disaster" and emphasized the need for urgent action to address the crisis.
Bass highlighted the success of her signature program, Inside Safe, which has moved over 21,000 homeless people into temporary shelters. However, she acknowledged that this strategy is not a long-term solution and that more needs to be done to end homelessness in the city.
The mayor appealed to the wealthy and philanthropic community to contribute to a new capital campaign, called LA4LA, which aims to help the city acquire more properties and speed up the housing process for the homeless. Bass emphasized that this is a partnership between the public and private sectors to confront the emergency and save lives.
The homeless crisis has had a significant impact on the city, driving away businesses, costing taxpayers resources, and creating safety issues. Bass stressed that she will not accept this situation and that the city cannot afford to either. She called for a "sea change" in the way the issue is addressed and emphasized the need to disrupt the status quo to build a new system that will effectively tackle the problem.
Despite billions of dollars being spent on homelessness programs and an array of new initiatives, the number of homeless people in the city continues to rise. According to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, there has been a 9% increase in the county and a 10% increase in the city from the previous year.
This comes as a coalition of business owners and residents in L.A. filed a lawsuit against the city, claiming that it had not honored its 2020 settlement agreement, which promised to build thousands of shelters and clean up homeless encampments. This legal action highlights the frustration and growing concern among community members over the city's handling of the issue.
In response to the criticism and pressure, the Los Angeles City Council recently agreed to pay an outside firm $2.2 million to audit its homelessness programs. This decision was made after a request from a federal judge, further highlighting the seriousness of the situation and the need for accountability and transparency.
In her address, Mayor Bass acknowledged that it will take the collective effort of the entire community to effectively address homelessness in the city. She urged all Angelenos to participate in this crucial effort and contribute to the cause in whatever way they can.
The success of LA4LA and, ultimately, the transformation of the city's approach to homelessness will depend on the humanity and generosity of the private sector.