LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles City Council today approved $7.8 million of funding for lifesaving in-patient substance abuse treatment.
“We will not end homelessness without addressing drug abuse and mental illness,” said Mayor Bass. “This is a matter of life and death. I refuse to leave unhoused Angelenos on the street knowing that we can do more. This is an emergency and we are treating it as such. Together -- with leaders in the City, County, State and at the Federal level — we will come together to develop and implement treatment solutions for the unhoused.”
“We are facing an epidemic of substance abuse and untreated mental illness in this country, not just in Los Angeles,” said Council President Paul Krekorian. “But here in Los Angeles we are taking the lead by paying for the treatment of addiction and mental illness with funds received from the opioid and tobacco settlements. It is progress when we can give more people the treatment they so desperately need with money justly awarded from the very industries that did so much to create the problem.”
“We have the opportunity, and the responsibility, to combat the opioid epidemic in ways we couldn't before and help connect more struggling Angelenos to lifesaving care,” said Councilmember Bob Blumenfield. “As Chair of the Budget, Finance and Innovation Committee, I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues on this critical issue because it’s imperative we not only fund these programs, but also track and analyze our success and potential struggles.”