In a show of support for Mayor Karen Bass’ efforts to address Los Angeles’ homelessness crisis, the City Council voted on Wednesday, Jan. 18 to create and transfer $50 million into an emergency fund for the mayor to use at her discretion.
The money will help immediately pay for hotels, increase in staffing and providers who are conducting outreach, according to Matt Szabo, the city administrative officer. Szabo said that without access to the immediate funding, the city lacks the capacity to pay providers in a timely manner. The council voted last month to end the city’s state of local emergency due to COVID-19 at the end of the month, with a motion by Council President Paul Krekorian noting that it “is appropriate to close this account and appropriate the funds for other emergency purposes.”
The city officials said the funding will also help Los Angeles fulfill its requirements under an expected settlement with the L.A. Alliance for Human Rights, which sued the city and county in 2020, accusing them of failing to do enough to address the homelessness crisis.