Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is orchestrating another move against homelessness downtown, this time next to L.A.'s bustling entertainment hub and the 110 Freeway. The mayor's office and Councilmembers Eunisses Hernandez and Kevin de León partnered to facilitate a recent Inside Safe operation. According to a statement from the Office of the Mayor, the latest outreach has managed to bring over 30 individuals from encampments to secure accommodations, as well as clearing out several tons of debris.
This initiative isn't the office's first; following last week's effort to house individuals in Koreatown and Westlake communities, the total number of people taken off the streets has topped 3,000. "No Angeleno should live outside under a freeway and today we helped more than 30 people come off the streets and into safety," Mayor Bass stated, in a statement made by the Office of the Mayor. These efforts represent not just a response, but an imperative to urgently intervene and to continue to save lives.
Similarly bolstering this push for housing is Councilmember Kevin de León, who said, "Once again, l'm pleased to collaborate with Mayor Bass for this transformative Inside Safe housing operation." He further appreciated the added benefit to community sidewalks by ensuring their safety and accessibility. Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez highlighted the success in engaging the homeless, stating, "Today’s Inside Safe operation once again disproves the myth of service resistance," and credited the Care First approach and housing availability for the encouraging results.
Since declaring a state of emergency on homelessness, Mayor Bass has been pushing for sweeping changes. These recent efforts have coincided with the first reported decrease in homelessness in Los Angeles in over half a decade, as found in the 2024 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count. The metrics are noteworthy – street homelessness has seen a 10% drop, the first double-digit decrease in nine years, and there's a 38% reduction in makeshift shelters. Moreover, permanent housing placements are at their highest recorded level to date, as detailed by the Mayor's Office.
