Los Angeles Mayor Takes Bold Action to Combat City's Homelessness Crisis

Across the United States, cities are bearing the brunt of homelessness, a problem fueled by a lack of affordable housing and issues like mental health and addiction that are worsened by poverty.

New York and Los Angeles alone account for around 40% of the country's unhoused population. Now, those cities are trying to find lasting solutions. 

In California, which leads the nation in homelessness and home prices, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass ran and won last year's election largely on a promise to house about a third of the city's 46,000 homeless people by the end of the year. 

Making good on that goal started on Bass' first day in office. 

"What I did on Day One of my administration was put the city in a state of emergency," Bass told CBS Saturday Morning. 

That began her housing relief program, "Inside Safe," which brought nearly 2,000 people off the street, according to numbers reported by the city of Los Angeles. That, along with other homeless relief programs, got nearly 22,000 Los Angeles residents into temporary housing. That's 5,000 more people than last year, the city said. 

"We have debunked the misconception that individuals on the streets are unwilling to leave," stated an anonymous source. "Therefore, we have not encountered any difficulties in terms of people accepting housing."

Transitioning individuals from the streets to temporary housing is one challenge, but ensuring their long-term housing stability is another. As of November 2023, only 3,500 homeless individuals in Los Angeles have secured permanent housing. The scarcity of affordable housing options in the city, as well as in numerous other major American cities, makes it nearly impossible to find suitable accommodations for those residing in temporary units.

On November 1st, an executive order was issued by an undisclosed individual, granting "Inside Safe" permission to utilize vacant residential hotel rooms as interim housing.

"I do not want individuals waiting on the streets in tents while we construct affordable housing," expressed the anonymous source. "That is why we are relocating them from the streets and providing motel rooms, while simultaneously expediting the construction process."

However, these temporary rooms are being utilized as permanent housing for low-income residents, which has raised concerns. According to Barbara Schultz, the director of housing and justice at the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, the city's data indicates a need for "456,000 additional housing units to meet the demand." Schultz further noted that nearly 200,000 of these units would be required for "low-income Angelenos."

In an effort to streamline the process of constructing new affordable housing, Secretary Marcia Fudge at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has expressed the need for more action at a national level. Fudge stated, "I don't believe that we have done all we should have done as a nation."

At the same time, the Biden administration has set a goal of reducing homelessness by 25% within the next two years. Fudge acknowledges that this is an "ambitious" goal, but believes it is "not impossible." To support this effort, Fudge has increased the value of housing vouchers and allocated $50 million to aid homeless youth.

"We are doing everything within our means because we recognize that young people, in particular, need to see homeownership as a viable option. Without this opportunity, they may never have the chance to build the kind of generational wealth that our parents did," Fudge emphasized.

On a local scale, efforts have been made to expedite the construction of affordable housing in Los Angeles. Representative Bass has successfully reduced the time it takes to obtain permits from months to just 37 days. Bass explained, "If you are planning to build 100% affordable housing in Los Angeles, you will encounter fewer barriers and we will fast-track the process for you."