Mayor Karen Bass announces $250 million expansion of Inside Safe program
While Mayor Karen Bass delivered many promises during her first State of the City address, she harped on her effort to solve the homelessness crisis, announcing a $250 million investment into her signature Inside Safe program.
"Tomorrow, I will release my budget as mayor," she said. "Building on the success of Inside Safe, my budget includes a $250 million investment to scale Inside Safe citywide."
In total, Bass announced that her budget will include a $1.3 billion investment earmarked for helping unhoused residents.
"Leaning into the new direction we're charting for L.A., my budget includes an unprecedented $1.3 billion investment to accelerate our momentum on homelessness," she said. "This is a record for the city of Los Angeles."
In January, the Los Angeles City Council approved a $50 million emergency fund for the mayor to use at her discretion to address the city's homelessness crisis. Bass used a portion of those funds for her Inside Safe Initiative, a plan to bring people inside from tents and encampments, with the goal of housing 17,000 people experiencing homelessness within her first year as mayor.
Bass recently announced her administration housed approximately 4,000 Angelenos through a collaborative effort -- and of that number, 1,000 Angelenos were housed through her Inside Safe initiative.
"My top priority from day one to day 100 of my administration has been confronting the homelessness crisis with the urgency it requires, and that won't stop," Bass said in a statement. "Together, we will work to make Los Angeles safer and more livable in every neighborhood."
The mayor laid out several public safety priorities such as bolstering the Los Angeles Police Department, supporting training for officers to respond to mental health crises, and expand non-punitive strategies that reduce crime.
Bass has also issued a series of emergency declarations to respond to recent storms. These declarations enabled the city to coordinate responses and secure federal and state funds for significant impacts to the city's power system and infrastructure including filling more than 17,000 potholes throughout city streets.
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