“I will not accept a homelessness crisis that afflicts more than 40,000 Angelenos and affects every one of us. It is a humanitarian crisis that takes the life of five people every day. … There will be no holding back on my watch.”
So said Karen Bass one year ago, as she declared a local emergency on homelessness during her first day as mayor of Los Angeles.
Twelve months later, as she wraps up her first year as the city’s chief executive, the mayor’s office reports that several thousand more people facing homelessness were placed in interim housing in 2023 than in 2022.
At the same time, there’s a good chance the city’s homeless population has grown, due in part to potential jumps in evictions this year. But any increases in the homeless population won’t be confirmed until after a formal annual count is conducted in January 2024.
So what do Angelenos, as well as the mayor herself, think about the past 12 months as Bass hits her one-year mark in office on Tuesday, Dec. 12?
“This year has gone by so fast,” Bass said during a meeting with San Fernando Valley business leaders last week. “Some days, it feels like it’s been three months, and some days it feels like it’s been three years.”
Below, we look back on the top issues Bass has tackled – from homelessness and housing to public safety and economic development – as well as her handling of emergencies like an unprecedented tropical storm and the 10 Freeway’s closure due to an intense fire that badly damaged the freeway. We also take a look at what the second year of the Bass administration might bring.
Homelessness and housing
First up, homelessness – or what Bass calls “a humanitarian crisis.”
Last week, the mayor’s office announced the city has provided interim housing to more than 21,000 people since Bass became mayor, including more than 1,950 brought indoors through her signature homeless program, Inside Safe.
The city has carried out at least 33 Inside Safe…
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