Support for LAist comes from
Audience-funded nonprofit news
Stay Connected
Audience-funded nonprofit news
Listen

Share This

Civics & Democracy

LA City Council Approves Mayor Bass' Emergency Declaration On Homelessness. Watch The Replay

A man wearing a white hoodie, holds a brown poster that reads "KDL is Anti-Poor, KDL is Anti-Black, KDL is Anti-Native, VETO 41.18. He's holding his hand to his mouth as he shouts. Next two him a white woman holds up an out of focus white sign. On the right of the frame other diverse members of the public are standing, some holding signs up.
Members of the public hold signs at Tuesday's meeting denouncing Council member Kevin de León, who refuses to resign over the leaked audio scandal.
(
Brian Feinzimer
/
for LAist
)

With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today. 

Topline:

At its first meeting with five newly-elected council members Tuesday, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously ratified Mayor Karen Bass' emergency declaration concerning homelessness. That allows her to cut through red tape to create temporary and permanent housing for the estimated 42,000 people living on the streets.

Why it matters: City officials, nonprofit organizations, the business community and the public have long been frustrated by the inability to get a handle on the problem. “I think the mayor has brought a new sense of urgency and a new sense of unity and purpose,” Council President Paul Krekorian said.

The declaration will “streamline some things within the city but also will be a cudgel to help leverage the state and the feds,” said Councilman Bob Blumenfield. “Hopefully it will bring coordination and dollars from other levels of government.”

Support for LAist comes from

Councilmember Kevin de León was among the yes votes even though he was in a back room at the time. He had left the chamber amid loud protests over his refusal to resign in the wake of the leak of a recording of racist and homophobic comments de León and other council members made.

You can read Bass' declaration here.

Watch: You can watch a recording of the meeting here:

As L.A. Mayor Karen Bass begins her term, tell us what issues feel most urgent to you.

Updated December 13, 2022 at 3:27 PM PST
This story was updated with the results of the vote.

At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.

But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.

We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.

Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.

Chip in now to fund your local journalism
A row of graphics payment types: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and PayPal, and  below a lock with Secure Payment text to the right
(
LAist
)

Trending on LAist