After a wave of criticism for homelessness for more than 30,000 homeless in Los Angeles, city mayor Eric Garcetti said yesterday that the change will not occur with "thundering fingers" and that although it is a process that takes time, it is working
His speech comes a day after the City Council approved $ 230 million to build 34 permanent support housing projects funded through Proposition HHH, a law passed in 2016 by voters.
During the press conference at the Homeless Response Center in downtown Los Angeles, Mayor Garcetti yesterday gave a list of the progress that has been made to date.
He said he is developing a housing plan for 100 women in the Skid Row area; as well as a mental health program.
Data from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) showed that about 30% of the total homeless population are women.
He added that there are now 47 new employees for the CARE program, which is responsible for the city's rapid cleaning program.
"Now we are not only waiting for claims but we are also being proactive going from 900 cleanings a year to 1,800," said the mayor.
Looking for help
Garcetti thanked the legislation signed by Governor Gavin Newsom that allows Los Angeles to bypass environmental reviews to build permanent supportive homes. This allows the construction of houses to be accelerated.
He also spoke to the federal government saying that if he became more involved in the fight against homelessness, the problem would be solved in a couple of years.
"We need national leadership," he said, asserting that one in eight people who qualify for assistance – such as food stamps – do not qualify for affordable housing.
One of the concerns among the Angels has been the high cost of housing and the amount of time it is estimated to take to finish them.
Garcetti said they expect to build 10,000 homes by 2026. However, currently in the city of Los Angeles alone there are more than 36,000 people who have nowhere to sleep.
The mayor also praised the construction of eight temporary homes, known as Bridge Homes and said there are 18 more to go.
He also stressed that today there are 151 fully funded temporary shelter and shelter homes, making up almost 13,000 shared rooms and dormitories in Los Angeles.
“Some houses have several bedrooms but share the same kitchen. This can allow four or five people to be accommodated in a unit, ”Garcetti said.
