With a presidential election and Congressional seats to fill in 2024, it’s easy to turn one’s attention to the national stage.
But there are plenty of issues and events to keep an eye on locally in Los Angeles.
Once again, homelessness and affordable housing remain top of mind for many. Mayor Karen Bass, now a year into office, has made clear that Angelenos should not expect homelessness to be solved in just 12 months. But the question in the new year will be: is the situation at least improving?
At the same time, there will be plenty of debate and politicking at City Hall, what with seven Los Angeles City Council seats up for election and ongoing discussions about redistricting and other governance reforms following a series of City Hall corruption cases and scandals.
Below, we’ve highlighted five things Angelenos should watch for in the coming year.
Homeless count
The number of homeless Angelenos jumped 10%, to more than 46,000 people, in this year’s Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority’s annual homeless count.
The 2023 count was conducted just weeks after Bass became mayor. Initiatives like Inside Safe, her signature homeless program, and other measures taken by the Bass administration to combat homelessness, had barely rolled out or hadn’t yet been implemented.
But LAHSA’s 2024 count, once again scheduled for January, will be conducted a year into the Bass administration. Fair or not, constituents are more likely to hold Bass accountable if there’s another uptick in the homeless population.
Indeed, an uptick would not be surprising. Bass herself has admitted the likelihood that L.A. may see another increase in the homeless count, in part because some tenant protections enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic have expired or soon will end.
Tenant rights advocates have repeatedly raised concerns about a spike in eviction filings this year. They, along with Bass and other city leaders, worry that as more people lose their homes, more…
Read the full article here
