Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass made strides in the city's battle against homelessness with a visit to an Inside Safe operation, which successfully transitioned more than 45 individuals from a long-established encampment into shelters, offering them crucial services and resources. The encampment, a source of growing health and safety concerns among local schools and the community, was situated adjacent to five educational institutions and the historic Angelus Rosedale Cemetery, as noted in the Mayor's official website.
During the operation, over 20 RVs were removed, prioritizing unhoused Angelenos' care and dignity. This effort contributes to the city's broader commitment to restoring safe pedestrian passage and securing learning environments while providing housing solutions. "By addressing both tents and RV’s on our streets, Inside Safe is bringing Angelenos inside while also ensuring that parents and children are able to safely walk to school," said Mayor Karen Bass, recognizing the local significance of the schools and cemetery; Bass along with Councilmember Hernandez's advocacy have been key to progress, looking to end the eviction-to-homelessness pipeline.
Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez lauded the careful coordination and compassionate approach to the operation, stating, "Today’s Inside Safe operation is the result of months of outreach, partnership with local community members, and a deep commitment to meeting our unhoused neighbors with compassion and care. " Hernandez expressed her gratitude for Mayor Bass’s leadership and affirmed her continued support for a Care-First agenda through a statement available on the Mayor's website.
The results of this initiative are in line with the downward trend in homelessness within Los Angeles observed for the first time in six years; the recent 2024 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count showed a 10% decrease in street homelessness in the city and a 38% decrease in makeshift shelters, Mayor Karen Bass has been instrumental in these improvements with her emergency declaration on the crisis when she first took office and by improving services for those transitioning from encampments to permanent housing, this has notably increased the number of people moving into permanent housing.
More than 350 people have been moved indoors since the year began, and over 90 encampments have been resolved as part of Inside Safe, consistent efforts by the Mayor's office, City Council, LA County, and LAHSA have allowed for the removal of tent encampments across all council districts and they have worked to make homelessness programs more cost-effective, these are the reported accomplishments on the Mayor's official website.
