Mayor Bass’s Bold Budget: A Dual Focus on Homelessness and LAPD Reinforcement
Mayor Karen Bass insisted the City Council to set aside $1.3 billion for homeless projects in her first budget proposal for the city of Los Angeles for fiscal year 2023-2024.
Last year, ending homelessness was one of Bass’s most strident campaign commitments for mayor. She declared a state of emergency immediately after taking office and is now asking more funds than the city of Los Angeles has authorized.
“This budget reflects our principles and invests in our city’s most critical needs,” Bass said at a news conference on Tuesday at Los Angeles City Hall.This budget will make investments in public safety and other areas that will save lives, improve communities, and improve quality of life, all of which will save the city money in the long term.”
As part of the mayor’s commitment to addressing homelessness, Bass’ Inside Safe plan, which will go into force in December 2022, will get $250 million. Bass is requesting $178 million to build the Inside Safe program, which would send outreach teams to various homeless districts across the city and provide accommodation in hotels and long-term rentals. Bass is also seeking $23 million to assist potential drug addicts in the homeless population.
“This budget breaks new ground by funding the purchase of hotels and motels, which reduces costs when compared to renting,” Bass continued. “One of the factors influencing the buying of hotels and motels is the requirement for long-term infrastructure for short-term accommodation.”
According to the budget suggested by Bath’s mayor, the LAPD needs to hire more officers because personnel levels are at their lowest since 2002.
According to Bass, the police department will have 2,500 officers by the end of the year, thanks in part to active recruitment efforts. This will help to compensate for attrition. The department is once again full.
After Bass announced her plans to hire 780 new LAPD officers and recall 200 retired officers, Melina Abdullah, co-founder of Black Lives Matter in Los Angeles (BMLLA), shared a poll on Twitter asking Angelenos what she thought Perceptions of household spending and where they wanted monetary taxes distributed. While praising the mayor’s collaboration with LAPD Chief Michelle Moore, the BLMLA questioned her decision to identify the three people who died in LAPD custody in January.
Initiatives to combat “income inequality,” infrastructure improvements to roads, sidewalks, and bus stops, as well as tree planting and tree pruning, all receive less budgetary support.
The Los Angeles City Council is now considering the proposed budget and will make suggestions and adjustments before the new fiscal year begins in June.
