President Joe Biden received a warm welcome from Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who has been actively engaging with White House officials about key issues for her city. Bass has been discussing critical topics including the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games with White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients and Counselor to the President Steve Ricchetti, reported the Mayor's Office.
Bass highlighted the importance of the federal government's role in local achievements. "During my first year in office, the White House helped us bring thousands of unhoused Angelenos inside, protect our climate with new federal resources, and provided support as we recovered from a disastrous fire that closed the 10 freeway," Mayor Bass said in a statement. She expressed an eagerness to continue this "unprecedented partnership for the people of Los Angeles." The initiative to counter homelessness was further strengthened as Mayor Bass and the United States Conference of Mayors Task Force called on citizens to join the upcoming homeless Point-in-Time count.
The Task Force meeting, bustling with national mayors and representatives from the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, issued a national cry for involvement in the upcoming Point-in-Time Count. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development mandates that this count takes a tally of people experiencing homelessness nationwide. Set to take place from January 23 to 25, this count could see significant participation. Details on how to join the effort in Los Angeles are available at theycountwillyou.org.
At the helm of the Task Force on Homelessness, notable figures like Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego and Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority CEO Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kellum weighed in on this pressing issue. Government officials such as Anthony Love, from Veteran Health Administration Homeless Programs, and HUD's Senior Advisor Richard Cho were also in attendance, as reported by the Mayor's Office.
