Tackling homelessness in Los Angeles is at the forefront of new Democratic Mayor Karen Bass’s agenda after she declared a state of emergency on Monday.
Bass announced via Twitter the city’s state of emergency, something she vowed would be her first act as mayor.
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“I just declared a state of emergency on homelessness to unlock every tool and authority at our disposal to bring unhoused Angelenos inside,” Bass tweeted. “This is a matter of life and death and that’s exactly how my administration will treat it.”
“It’s a new day in Los Angeles,” she continued.
I just declared a state of emergency on homelessness to unlock every tool and authority at our disposal to bring unhoused Angelenos inside.
This is a matter of life and death and that’s exactly how my administration will treat it.
It is a new day in Los Angeles.
— MayorOfLA (@MayorOfLA) December 12, 2022
Bass is the first black female mayor of Los Angeles. She defeated billionaire developer Rick Caruso after the race went to a runoff in June.
A longtime congresswoman and state lawmaker, Bass is taking the reins of a city frustrated by rising crime and homelessness from Democratic Mayor Eric Garcetti, who held the position for eight years.
Bass said during her inauguration that she is going to focus on bringing the city together to tackle problems such as crime and housing, which were central themes of the mayoral race.
“It also takes a fundamental shift away from ‘no, that’s not my problem’ and to ‘how can we work together, and get to yes,’” Bass said in her speech, per the Hill.
Following the implementation of the state of emergency, she said one of her first acts as mayor will center on building new housing in every neighborhood.
“We cannot continue to overcrowd neighborhoods that are already overcrowded,” she said. “This is my call to you, L.A. — to welcome housing in every neighborhood.”
Bass added she would be working with law enforcement to increase the police presence in some communities with heavy crime rates and creating an Office of Community Safety to combat crime across Los Angeles.
“Let me be so bold as to add that we can prevent crime and community violence by addressing the social, the health, and the economic conditions that compromise a safe environment,” she said.
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In California as a whole, the state’s violent crime rate increased by 6% to 466 per 100,000 in 2021, up from 440 per 100,000 in 2020. Aggravated assaults made up 67% of reported violent crimes, with 24% as robberies, 8% rape, and 1% as homicides, per a public policy report.
Bass was sworn in on Sunday by Vice President Kamala Harris. The vice president and second gentleman Doug Emhoff were among the attendees, along with musician Stevie Wonder, gospel duo Mary & Mary, poet Amanda Gorman, and R&B artist Chloe Bailey.
