Homelessness

Since my opponent took office, unsheltered homelessness has gone up by 45%. That is simply unacceptable. Our homelessness crisis must be met with strategy, urgency and an all-of-the-above approach that doesn’t shuffle people from sidewalk to sidewalk.

I support Inside Safe and commend the Mayor for the work she has done already to get so many people off the street. However, we need more. Temporary housing is just the first step - if we don’t have permanent housing and services to support folks, they are likely to just end up back on the street. We also need efforts like job training and placement, mental health and substance abuse support, and more. 

That’s why on day one, I would appoint a Homelessness and Housing Deputy for the 12th District to identify the biggest areas of concern and then work to immediately address those most pressing needs. Given the urgency and growing number of unhoused in this community, I would have a staff person whose primary responsibility would be to work with the Homeless and Housing Deputy in the Mayor’s Office, the Housing and Community Investment Department, the County Board of Supervisors, LAHSA, and the State to coordinate and expedite getting resources to address the lack of housing. Meanwhile, they would be the primary point person for nonprofit organizations who are doing meaningful work to find housing for people in CD12. We need a both/and approach.

Additionally, my office would work with churches, synagogues, mosques and other religious institutions on mental health training and other means of providing for the unhoused. I also implement the Safe Parking Los Angeles program to find sites in the region to provide those who are newly unhoused with safe places to sleep at night while we help them to identify other temporary and eventually permanent supportive housing.