WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th December, 2022) New Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass on Monday declared a state of emergency in the city amid an acute crisis of residents who are homeless.
"Today, on my first day of office, we hit the ground running with a sea change in how the city tackles homelessness, declaring a state of emergency and activating the Emergency Operations Center," Bass said during a press briefing.
The mayor said that she will not accept the "homelessness crisis" persisting in the city as it currently affects more than 40,000 residents.
Bass explained that Los Angeles is going through a humanitarian crisis that is claiming the lives of at least five homeless residents per day.
The death rate and mass displacement of homeless people in Los Angeles have already exceeded those caused by natural disasters like the Northridge earthquake and hurricane Harvey, Bass said.
Los Angeles will respond to the crisis by building more housing and shelters for those residents who have been forced to live on the streets, Bass also said.
"The executive order that I will sign in the coming days to create the Inside Safe program will create a city-wide approach to tackling encampments and street homelessness to provide people with housing and services, and to restore our public spaces," Bass added.
