In her first State of the City speech, Mayor Karen Bass announced a dramatic expansion of her signature program to move homeless people indoors, while also pledging to create “a new L.A.”
Two years ago, then-Mayor Eric Garcetti used his own State of the City address to announce nearly $1 billion to reduce homelessness, which has steadily grown over the past decade.Bass began by saying she could not declare that the state of the city is “where it needs to be.” She proffered a vision of a metropolis defined by neighborhood-level issues that her administration is just beginning to tackle.
Council President Paul Krekorian and Board Chair Janice Hahn’s introductions were emblematic not just of Bass’ broader approach but also the realities of governing in Los Angeles, said Raphael Sonenshein, executive director of the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs at Cal State LA. “We have finally dispelled the myth that people do not want to come inside,” Bass said of her plans to expand Inside Safe.