LOS ANGELES – Mayor Karen Bass today issued the following statement after Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 785 authored by Assemblymember Miguel Santiago and sponsored by Mayor Bass, as the City of Los Angeles continues to urgently confront the homelessness crisis.
“Today is another positive step forward in our effort to urgently confront the homelessness crisis in Los Angeles,” said Mayor Karen Bass. “By streamlining the construction of affordable housing, low-barrier navigation centers, supportive housing and transitional housing, we will be able to bring more unhoused Angelenos inside, faster. The bill signed today further signifies our effort to lock arms across all levels of government to confront the homelessness crisis with the urgency required – and that is exactly what we will continue to do. My thanks to Governor Newsom and Assemblymember Santiago for their leadership on this critical issue.”
Assembly Bill 785 will help the City move more people indoors more quickly by extending the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) exemptions for the City and unincorporated areas of the County of Los Angeles until 2030 to streamline the construction of affordable housing, low-barrier navigation centers, supportive housing, and transitional housing for youth. As the sponsor of Assembly Bill 785, the Mayor and Assemblymember Santiago worked together to lead the passage of the bill in order to build upon progress made in confronting the homelessness crisis and bringing more than 17,000 Angelenos off of the streets and into housing.