LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass today issued the following statement after City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto filed a response on Monday to a motion by plaintiffs LA Alliance seeking to divert funds from the City’s successful efforts moving unhoused Angelenos inside.
On her first day in office, Mayor Bass signed an emergency declaration, which was then ratified by City Council partners and has led to an unprecedented and urgent response to the homelessness crisis in Los Angeles. The Alliance filing comes after more than 21,000 Angelenos came inside last year, thousands more Angelenos than the previous year thanks to urgent action locking arms with the City Council.
“The City of Los Angeles brought thousands more unhoused Angelenos inside last year than the year before and we will continue that urgent work to save lives no matter what,” said Mayor Bass. “I do not have patience for anyone who stands in the way, and certainly not for those seeking to profit with baseless motions in court. Regardless of whether or not others choose to divert resources away from this work, we're going to keep saving lives.”
“This lawsuit unnecessarily distracts from the city’s efforts to address the homelessness crisis in Los Angeles,” said Los Angeles City Attorney, Hydee Feldstein Soto. As our response in Court makes clear, the city is in full compliance with the Alliance agreement and is on track to continue to shelter an unprecedented number of unhoused individuals.”
Read the full filing here. In 2022, the City of Los Angeles settled a lawsuit in federal court to expand services and housing opportunities throughout Los Angeles. Last week, the plaintiffs filed a motion to seek retroactive sanctions against the City despite the City being in compliance with the settlement and despite the unprecedented response from the City to the homelessness crisis. Since Mayor Bass was elected, the City has implemented a new strategy to secure motel rooms to immediately address encampments and move people inside. Encampments have come down in every council district. Read more here.