On December 12, 2022, Mayor Bass declared a state of emergency on homelessness. On December 13, 2022, in accordance with Los Angeles Administrative Code Section 8.27, the City Council approved a Resolution (Krekorian, et al.) ratifying the emergency declaration. After the ratification of the emergency declaration, Mayor Bass issued two executive orders - one to launch the Inside Safe Initiative to implement a citywide strategy to address the homelessness crisis and the other to expedite permits and clearances for temporary shelter and affordable housing.
In January, the City Council created the Homelessness Emergency Account and provided the Mayor with approximately $50 million in necessary funding to implement the Inside Safe Initiative. With the City Council’s and Mayor’s collective efforts, over the last six months, the City has conducted 19 Inside Safe operations and moved 1,323 unhoused individuals inside through that program. Additionally, the City was able to identify 456 projects, totaling over 8,000 units, for expedited approval and approved 20 projects, totaling 1,496 units, within 37 days.
Pursuant to the terms of the emergency declaration, the Council has continued to renew the emergency declaration at least every 30 days for the last six months. However, the emergency declaration will terminate on July 9, 2023.
While the original emergency declaration will terminate, the homelessness crisis will continue. As a result, the City Council approved $250 million in funding for Inside Safe for fiscal year 2023-2024 and continues to work with the Mayor to streamline City processes and procedures to address the crisis. In order to build upon these efforts, the City Council should consider the adoption of LAAC Section 8.33, attached to this motion, that would create a path for Mayor Bass, and future Mayors, to declare a Local Housing or Homelessness Emergency.
I THEREFORE MOVE that the City Council request the City Attorney to review the attached language for a new LAAC Section 8.33 for form and legality and prepare and present an ordinance with an urgency clause to effectuate this section.