Some Los Angeles elected officials, looking for ways to combat a growing homelessness problem in the area, are hoping Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom will declare a state of emergency to combat the issue.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas and City Councilman Joe Buscaino have proposed the idea, which could potentially allow for more state and federal funding in effort to provide solutions, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The county has seen its homeless population increase to nearly 60,000 people, up 12% over last year. The county has instituted a Measure H sales tax to raise $355 million to put toward “expanding the County’s strategies to combat homelessness.”
President Trump has spoken out on the topic of homelessness in California, claiming it was hurting the “prestige” of the state’s largest cities.
“We can’t let Los Angeles, San Francisco and numerous other cities destroy themselves by allowing what’s happening,” the president said earlier this month.
The Trump administration has reportedly been looking at various measures to address the problem.
