D.T. Carson
Mayor Karen Bass is proving that she is a woman of her word as she presses full steam ahead in her goal of getting homeless people off the streets and clearing out the unsightly encampments that have overwhelmed parts of the city.
Just as she said she would, her first order of business was declaring a state of emergency in her efforts aimed at sheltering the city’s 40,000-plus unhoused residents. It is a move that would serve to fast track the process of creating more affordable housing and get money to homeless service providers.
Mayor Bass followed that up with a directive that would require the departments overseeing the processing of affordable housing to complete their reviews in 60 days. And less than a week into her term, the newly elected mayor is putting her plan into motion to bring 17,000 people inside in her first year of office with the launch of “Inside Safe”.
“We are shifting the way the city approaches homelessness, and the Inside Safe initiative represents a change in how we help and house people living in tents and encampments,” Mayor Bass said. “The new strategy on homelessness I am bringing to City Hall replaces quick fixes with real solutions. People should not be left to live and die on the streets because the city isn’t giving them someplace to go. Under my administration, we are giving people safe places to move inside, and we will ensure people can stay inside and safe for good.”
Inside Safe will assess street homelessness across Los Angeles and then proactively engage with people living in tents and encampments based on which locations are most chronic and where people are most in crisis with the following five goals:
- Reduce the loss of life on our streets
- Increase access to mental health and substance abuse treatment for those living in encampments
- Eliminate street encampments
- Promote long-term housing stability for people experiencing homelessness
- Enhance the safety and hygiene of neighborhoods for all residents, businesses, and neighbors
“It is imperative that we immediately begin to move people living in encampments indoors,” Bass said. “Once in interim housing, social service agencies will provide wrap-around care to each participant to transition those previously living in encampments into permanent housing, improve their wellbeing, and promote their stability. Such an effort will simultaneously enhance the safety and hygiene of our neighborhoods for all residents, businesses, and neighbors.”
According to a new poll, she has the backing of voters, a majority of whom have faith in her efforts to solve L.A.’s homeless crisis. And earlier this week, she got the support of the L.A. County Board of Supervisors, who unanimously voted to back the Mayor’s state of emergency declaration in addressing homelessness.
“The only way we can really solve this crisis is if we are working in complete partnership,” Bass noted as she met with the county supervisors earlier this week.
To that end, she has directed her cabinet—inclusive of her Chief of Housing and designees from the departments of housing, transportation and public works—to coordinate in the effort with L.A. Metro, the Department of Water of Power, World Airports and other L.A. County agencies that serve those experiencing homelessness.
But the former Congresswoman who made history as L.A.’s first female mayor didn’t stop there. In a recent meeting with members of the Baptist Minister’s Conference of Southern California, she let them know that she would be calling on them for their assistance. And on Sunday at First AME Church, Bass once again encouraged Angelenos to join her in the effort.
“Thank you for being on the journey with me to win the election, but now the work begins,” Bass said. “And I want to ask you if you will please continue to pray for me, with me, walk with me as we go to this part of the journey. Everybody has to have skin in this game. Housing has to be built everywhere.”