A state of emergency over spiraling levels of homelessness was declared in Los Angeles on Monday, December 12, as the new mayor pledged a "seismic shift" for one of the most intractable problems in America's second-biggest city, Lemonade reported.
Tens of thousands of people sleep rough on Los Angeles streets every night, in an epidemic that shocks many visitors to one of the wealthiest urban areas on the planet. Mental health problems and substance abuse issues are rife among the population, whose tents and rusting RVs scar the city.
Mayor Karen Bass, who was sworn into office Sunday, used her first full day in the job to declare a state of emergency. "I will not accept a homelessness crisis that afflicts more than 40,000 individuals and affects every one of us," she said. "My mandate is to move Los Angeles in a new direction with an urgent and strategic approach to solving one of our city's toughest challenges."
Bass, the first woman to lead the city, signed the declaration in a room designated as the "United Homelessness Response Center," saying it would unlock tools and powers to "make sure we are using every resource possible." "Using the emergency order is our ability to fast-track things," Bass said, pledging a "seismic shift" in tactics.
MA/PR