The Los Angeles City Council is expected to declare a local emergency on Tuesday seeking new resources to battle homelessness.
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It’s the first time the city has stood up to take responsibility over the homeless living on its streets.
Mayor Eric Garcetti joined several City Council members in unveiling the plan, which follows an increase in the city’s homeless population from just under 23,000 two years ago, according to figures from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.
Councilmembers said they hope to have a draft strategic plan on homelessness by December.
Garcetti had publicized Monday a plan to devote a smaller amount of $13 million worth of leftover funds towards short-term housing efforts. The bulk of that money would be dedicated to housing homeless veterans. “Every single day we come to work, we see folks lying on this grass, a symbol of our city’s intense crisis”, he said.
He said these and other initial steps could “give us the momentum needed to make real progress over the coming year”. If approved, the new $100 million initiative will be directed to the L.A. City Council’s Housing Committee, which would decide how to spend it on projects, including long-term housing and expansion of shelter capacity.
An emergency declaration and the funding would require action by the full city council.
“They can spend billions on getting the Olympics”, she said.
With a number of luxury residential buildings opening in recent years, especially in the city’s downtown core, some community groups blame gentrification for making the city’s housing less affordable and contributing to the homeless problem.
The motion is also expected to call for a study of how the funding could be leveraged “to ensure an ongoing revenue stream to support the program”, according to a statement from Wesson’s office.
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Wesson today addressed these concerns, saying that “as a moral society, we have an obligation to provide shelter for the shelterless”. “(The) investment, along with commitment and coordination with Los Angeles County, neighboring cities and the private sector, can set us on a path to sustainable recovery”.
