Morning Brief: Addressing Homelessness, Returning To The Road, And Cooking In LA

Good morning, L.A. It’s July 29.

This week, L.A. city and county officials took two big steps towards addressing the region’s homelessness crisis.

On Tuesday, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors approved a motion to create a new commission that will assess the area’s current plight. And yesterday, the L.A. City Council voted in favor of an ordinance that would ban unhoused people from camping in designated parts of the city.

The new body, called the Blue Ribbon Commission on Homelessness, will include 12 people appointed by various elected officials and will focus on assessing the work currently being done by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. The group will also work to coalesce recognized best practices into a plan to address the region’s crisis moving forward.

Some activists for people experiencing homelessness are less than pleased with the formation of a new commission.

“It seems like there is already plenty of research out there about what works, so why more bureaucracy?” said Robin Petering, a policy co-chair for KTown For All.

The city’s decision to ban camping will apply to any areas that impede passage for people protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act, including sidewalks. It will also apply to areas within 500 feet of schools, daycares, public parks, libraries, underpasses, overpasses, freeway ramps and subway stations, and within 1,000 feet of a homeless shelter.

Activists and other Angelenos spoke out against the motion during a public comment period, however the council members still voted overwhelmingly in favor.

Keep reading for more on what’s happening in L.A., and stay safe out there.

What Else You Need To Know Today

• Long Beach has joined L.A. in requiring its municipal workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19, or to be tested regularly.
• As drivers return to the road, L.A. is on pace for a record number of deadly crashes.
• The L.A. City Council ordered LAPD to speed up a report on the botched South L.A. fireworks detonation that injured more than a dozen people.
• Just 36% of California voters are in favor of removing Gov. Gavin Newsom from office, but among those likely to participate in the upcoming election, support for a recall is at 47%.
• The last day for LAUSD parents to decide if they want their child to learn online this fall is Friday.

Before You Go ... Your Essential L.A. Cookbooks

Assorted L.A. cookbooks.

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Chava Sanchez/LAist

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When you're shopping for cookbooks, you don't want to be basic — and we’re here to help. We've compiled a list of essential cookbooks for the modern Angeleno, all of which were written by Los Angeles chefs and/or interesting Los Angeles people.

All of them also do more than share recipes. These books add context, culture, history and personality to the genre, which is what we believe good food and great cooking is really about.