In a coordinated movement towards bolstering the city's response to key issues such as homelessness and housing, Mayor Karen Bass, accompanied by L.A. City Council members, took their demands for support straight to Sacramento, meeting with California state leaders. Within the entourage were Council President Paul Krekorian, Council member Bob Blumenfield, Council member Monica Rodriguez, Council member Hugo Soto-Martinez, and Council member Eunisses Hernandez, who are pressing hard for additional state resources, as reported on the Mayor's official page.
Held over Monday and Tuesday, discussions ranged from homelessness funding to streamlining state emergency reimbursements—a proactive approach that comes in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and recent violent storms. The council’s history of leadership roles, like Krekorian's on Bass’s team in the State Assembly, and Blumenfield's chairmanship of the Assembly Budget Committee during the last recession, set the stage for making a stronger case for Los Angeles' needs. “Our partnership with the state has delivered progress for our city," Bass said, pointing to existing accomplishments like the significant homelessness funding and Homekey awards for housing, obtained by that critical state-city synergy.
The delegation's agenda was packed, with meetings involving State Treasurer Fiona Ma and Nancy Ward, Director of the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services. Discussions delved into removing impediments faced by developers and housing providers, notably in maximizing federal waivers, to address L.A.'s housing shortage. A noteworthy commitment by Ma was to review guidelines assisting developers which could ease the fruition of affordable housing projects. Concurrently, expedited disbursement of FEMA reimbursements for COVID-related expenses was on the table with Director Ward, with an announcement of progress to follow the next morning.
Amid their efforts, the L.A. representatives also pitched for legislative backing for SB 1500—a bill that would facilitate housing providers to better utilize HUD waivers, thereby helping to shelter Los Angeles' homeless population more effectively. They rallied for the Legislature to reconsider proposed cuts to housing and infrastructure programs that could impact funds awarded to L.A. Collaborating with the Los Angeles County Legislative Delegation, a coalition of local Assemblymembers and State Senators chaired by Assemblymember Tina McKinnor and vice-chaired by Senator Maria Elena Durazo, is pushing for further support across pivotal areas from homelessness to city services.
Proactive strides were evident in the area of emergency housing, as Mayor Bass announced, on the cusp of these meetings, that L.A. had successfully secured the seventh Homekey Round 3 grant, amounting to nearly $7.2 million. This win will fund 367 new interim housing units, total funding thus escalating to $105.8 million—a testament to the Mayor and City Council’s collaborative efforts to expand the capacity of the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA), "3,365 emergency housing vouchers have been used to bring unhoused Angelenos into permanent housing," Bass stated, showcasing a tangible outcome of their united front.
