In a bid to confront the rampant homelessness plaguing the City of Angels, Mayor Karen Bass, alongside Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez and Councilmember Imelda Padilla, has wrapped up two Inside Safe operations in Hollywood and Panorama City, a strategy that emphasizes housing-first to scoop up the city's street dwellers into more stable quarters, according to a press release.
The initiative, which concluded today, is built around a citywide, voluntary scheme that has already seen tent encampments fold across every council district, coupled with a notable uptick in the number of Angelenos swept off the streets into shelters, compared to last year the city is hot on the heels of constructing more housing to mitigate the crisis. "We will continue to bring Angelenos inside with urgency to save lives," Mayor Bass asserted, with thanks to Councilmembers Soto-Martínez and Padilla for their concerted efforts on this frontline issue.
Councilmember Soto-Martínez, representing District 13, praised Mayor Bass for the collaborative endeavor that has already started rehousing individuals from encampments, stating, "Thank you to Mayor Bass for collaborating with our office to bring folks off the streets and into housing," and signaling eagerness to deepen the partnership to reel in more communities from Hollywood and beyond.
Councilmember Imelda Padilla, aligned with Bass' mission, celebrated the twofold success in her community, noting the operations not only housed 10 individuals but also scrubbed up neighborhoods long marred by chronic homelessness, commending, “Today marks another successful collaboration with Mayor Bass,” adding that she's looking forward to further synchronize strides with the Mayor’s leadership to address this complex challenge.
The Inside Safe campaign holds a torch to five primary objectives, aiming to reduce mortality on the streets, expand access to mental health and substance abuse treatment, wipe out street encampments, and elevate long-term housing stability for the homeless while polishing up the cleanliness and safety of neighborhoods for residents, businesses, and visitors alike.
