Mayor Karen Bass: Looking ahead to 2023

It’s been an honor serving as your Mayor over the past three weeks, which I have spent taking clear and direct action to bring our unhoused neighbors inside.

On my first day in office, I didn’t start the morning at City Hall – I started at the City’s Emergency Operations Center where, as my first official act, I declared a State of Emergency on homelessness. Together with leaders from the City, the County, and the non-profit and private sectors, we committed to a comprehensive new strategy and set the stage for a sea change in how we address homelessness.

Our new approach is urgent and proactive – and it must be. After all, more than 40,000 Angelenos are sleeping on the streets today, and five of them are dying there every day.

To meet this emergency head-on, I also issued an Executive Directive to remove barriers that slow the work and increase the cost of building temporary and permanent housing. We’re also making it easier for the City to acquire rooms, properties and land to house Angelenos in need.

I also issued an Executive Directive launching Inside Safe, Los Angeles’ citywide, proactive and housing-led strategy to bring people inside from tents and encampments, and to prevent encampments from returning.

Through Inside Safe, we’ll give people safe places to move immediately – and commit to providing them with services and permanent housing so they can stay inside for good.

This is just the beginning – we will also fast-track the opening of HHH, additional interim housing and other permanent homes, and ensure we see results and efficiency from voter-approved Measure ULA.

There is a role for every one of us to play in the work ahead – which means we need to keep in touch! Please click here, to sign up for updates directly from me.

The work already underway gives me great hope for all to come. I look forward to working with you and Angelenos all across our city to get big things done together.

See you in the New Year,

Karen Bass, Mayor of Los Angeles