Dem mayor of LA begs rich people to help pay to house the homeless

The Democrat mayor of Los Angeles has claimed that the city cannot afford to fight the homelessness crisis alone. She is now asking wealthy residents and philanthropic organizations to fork over millions more to address the problem.

On Monday, Mayor Karen Bass gave her State of the City speech. The speech lasted just under 35 minutes, but she spent more than 11 minutes — approximately a third of the speech — discussing homelessness and other problems associated with it.

Part of the solution to "ending homelessness," the mayor indicated, is to find revenue sources besides taxes. "We have brought the public sector together," Bass said. "And now we must prevail on the humanity and generosity of the private sector."

Bass explained that she needs the help of "the most fortunate Angelenos" — many of whom already pay an ample portion of the taxes collected in California — to purchase properties that can then be converted into permanent housing units, a program she has dubbed LA4LA.

"The rescue phase of an emergency is always expensive," Bass stated. "There's no way around it. Motel rooms rented by the night are expensive."

LA4LA participants will help the city continue purchasing motels and hotels for this endeavor. "Help us acquire more properties, lower the cost of capital, and speed up housing," she said. "This is the mission of ... LA4LA."

Sarah Dusseault, the leading strategist for LA4LA, claims the new initiative has already generated significant contributions from area organizations. The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation has already pledged a grant of $3.5 million, and the California Community Foundation has promised a loan of $5 million.

Stephen J. Cloobeck, described by the L.A. Times as a "Beverly Hills-based investor and philanthropist," has donated $1 million as well. "There needs to be a pathway for people to get back into society, and be proud of themselves and add value to our community," Cloobeck said.

Since taking office in December 2022, Bass has made addressing the city's 46,000 homeless residents a priority. Another initiative implemented by Bass, Inside Safe, which Bass touted during her speech, has helped relocate some 2,600 residents from the streets to "indoor" areas, the Times reported.

However, of those 2,600 "unhoused" residents, more than 600 have already returned to living on the streets. Another 80 are either dead or in jail, the Times said.

Still, Bass remains optimistic that her administration can achieve the goal of "preventing and ending homelessness" — not just "hiding" or "managing" it.

"LA4LA can be a sea change for Los Angles, an unprecedented partnership to confront this emergency, an example of disrupting the status quo to build a new system to save lives," she said.

You can watch Bass' full speech below. The topic of homelessness begins around the 15:25 mark.

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