The new Los Angeles mayor declares a state of emergency over the homelessness crisis

Los Angeles’ new mayor, Karen Bass, has just announced that she wants to tackle the thorny homelessness problem affecting the second-largest city in the United States.

The Democrat-elect declared a state of emergency on Monday, December 12, after the skyrocketing number of homeless On the streets of the Californian city, which is inhabited by tens of thousands of people sleeping in tents or in sleeping bags, surprising tourists who come to visit one of the richest metropolitan areas on the planet.

“I will not tolerate a homelessness crisis that affects more than 40,000 people and affects us all.”Karen Bass, the city’s first woman elected mayor, explained in November, who took office Sunday with an oath of office in the presence of US Vice President Kemal Harris, a former California attorney general and longtime friend.

” radical change “

“My mission is to lead Los Angeles in a new direction with a quick and strategic approach to solving one of our city’s toughest challenges”She added, explaining that “Using an emergency allows us to speed things up.”

promise aedile a ” radical change “ In the way of work, she will sign a series of executive orders in the coming days to address the problem, for example by providing temporary housing through city rental of apartments and hotel rooms. She announced plans to house more than 17,000 homeless people in her first year in office.

Mental health problems or addiction

Karen Bass, 69, a former House elect and former medical assistant, has been very involved in community life in Los Angeles, the city where she’s from. She was elected mayor against wealthy real estate developer Rick Caruso, after a campaign dominated by the issue of homelessness, which had become omnipresent in local public debate.

Some of the most expensive rents in the country, a high cost of living and taxes above the national average further complicate the situation. This topic is even more sensitive because the homeless population is also highly affected by mental health problems or addictions.

Los Angeles is preparing to host the Olympic Games in 2028, and many observers believe that the municipality will be more eager to remove the multiple tents, which are sometimes installed a few meters from luxury shops or luxury villas.