"Los Angeles Mayor Takes Action on Homelessness Crisis Amid National Affordable Housing Focus"
Originally Published 2 years ago — by CBS News
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has been working to address the city's homelessness crisis by implementing housing relief programs, such as "Inside Safe," which has brought nearly 2,000 people off the streets and provided temporary housing for nearly 22,000 residents. However, the lack of affordable housing stock remains a challenge, with only 3,500 unhoused people finding permanent housing. The city is exploring options like using vacant residential hotel rooms as interim housing, but there is a need for 456,000 more housing units to meet the demand. The Biden administration has set a goal of reducing homelessness by 25% in the next two years, and Secretary Marcia Fudge is working to streamline the process of building new affordable housing. Mayor Bass has also sponsored bills to create more permanent housing and expedite the building process on public lands. The city aims to address the homelessness crisis before major upcoming events like the FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Olympics.