Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
The City Agreed On A Settlement To Shelter Unhoused People. Will That Be Enough Help?
A lawyer for L.A. Alliance said the city of L.A. doesn't have the infrastructure to meet the housing or service needs of unhoused people suffering from severe drug addiction or mental illnesses and needs the county's participation to address it.
(
Ethan Ward
/
LAist
)
The city of L.A. reached an agreement last Friday over a two-year lawsuit that demanded it to shelter unhoused people, although it still has to be signed off by a judge.
Under the settlement, the city will provide beds over the next five years in each council district for 60% of the city’s unsheltered residents. Much of the emphasis from the city is ensuring the county of L.A. meets its obligations to unhoused people in the city. Those obligations include, in part:
- Increasing the number of unhoused outreach teams exclusively in the city
- Increasing the number of drug rehabilitation and detox beds in the city for people experiencing homelessness regardless of insurance coverage
- Providing housing and treatment services for unhoused people not appropriate for city shelters
The suit was initially brought by the L.A. Alliance and eight individual plaintiffs against the county and city of L.A., alleging they were moving too slowly to get people off the streets and into housing. The L.A. Alliance included current and formerly unhoused residents of Skid Row, business and property owners, and a real estate professional who had interests in the downtown neighborhood.
Skip Miller, partner of the Miller Barondess law firm and outside counsel for L.A. County in the LA Alliance lawsuit, said in a statement the lawsuit had no merit with regard to the county and it was between the plaintiffs and the city of L.A.
Support for LAist comes from
“The County is more than doing its job and doing everything possible to address homelessness without stigmatizing it as a crime,” the statement read. “Any assertion that the County has failed on this obligation is utterly baseless. Unlike the lawsuit, which focuses on four miles of downtown LA, the County is obligated by law to use its resources equitably among all 88 cities and unincorporated areas within the 4,000 square miles of its jurisdiction.”
City council members have conducted ongoing outreach in their districts in order to connect unhoused people with shelter and permanent supportive housing. Which begs the question: if the county feels they are doing its job, will anything change?
Elizabeth Mitchell, an attorney for the L.A. Alliance said this settlement will make a difference because it will significantly increase shelter offers to unhoused people living on the streets, many of whom aren’t suffering from severe drug addiction or mental health issues.
Mitchell did express concern about the county not stepping up to address those who are.
“The most visible folks in crisis are going to be higher acuity and be the county's responsibility,” Mitchell said. “Unfortunately, without the county's participation, we aren’t going to be able to address it because the city isn't set up infrastructure wise to address folks in that capacity. Look at the crisis on the street. It's just clear that what the county is doing is insufficient and they’re not helping the most vulnerable people.”
A spokesperson for L.A. City Councilmember Nithya Raman said in an email the settlement doesn’t affect their approach to combating the homelessness crisis within their district.
Support for LAist comes from
“The Councilmember and our Homelessness Team work every day connecting unhoused constituents with needed resources and creating new shelter and housing opportunities for as many residents of our district as possible,” said the spokesperson. “Our hope is that this settlement will result in more housing resources to enable us to continue effectively doing this work.”
A spokesperson for L.A. City Councilmember Nury Martinez said once the settlement is approved by Judge Carter, it will go before the city council for a vote.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance. -
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars.
-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
-
With California voters facing a decision on redistricting this November, Surf City is poised to join the brewing battle over Congressional voting districts.
Best of LAist