Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Governor Gavin Newsom are rolling up their sleeves in a new partnership to clean up encampments around freeways and house the city's homeless population. Fresh off a powwow with state officials in Sacramento, the alliance was inked to address the sanitation and safety concerns in areas where the unhoused have settled near vital transport arteries. This collaborative effort emerged directly from Mayor Bass and Council President Paul Krekorian's recent trip upstate, a visit that also netted nearly $60 million in reimbursements for COVID-19 expenses for the City of Angels, according to the County of Los Angeles.
"When we were in Sacramento last week, we raised the need to cut through red tape and come together to help keep public spaces near freeways clean and safe as we continue our work to bring unhoused Angelenos inside," said Mayor Bass in a statement obtained by her office's press release. "Governor Newsom and Secretary Omishakin shared our commitment and just days later, we are moving this agreement forward." Bass's trip to Sacramento, along with other members of the council, resulted in securing over $300 million in emergency reimbursements for the region.
Gov. Newsom highlighted the importance of cooperation saying, "As we work to get people out of tents and into housing, collaboration is key." He further noted the deal underscores "our shared commitment to addressing encampments and ensuring clean and safe public spaces for all Californians." The agreement between the Los Angeles Department of Sanitation (LASAN) and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will enable city crews to tidy up Caltrans properties and the state will reimburse L.A. for these services in the Caltrans District 7 Metro Region, as per the County of Los Angeles.
Councilmember John Lee, Chair of the City's Committee on Public Works, commended the partnership. "An MOU like this creates an opportunity for Los Angeles to work more efficiently and collaboratively with our state partners as we work towards solving our city's homelessness crisis," Lee mentioned. "Addressing matters of public safety should not be limited by jurisdictional boundaries and so this collaboration will crucially help our city's efforts to keep public spaces clean." The deal awaits ratification from the Board of Public Works and the Los Angeles City Council.
