LOS ANGELES – Mayor Karen Bass, U.S. Conference of Mayors President Reno (NV) Mayor Hillary Schieve and the U.S. Conference of Mayors will lead a national convening on homelessness in Los Angeles on Thursday. The convening will bring together mayors from across the country to further coordinate on a national strategy to combat homelessness, share successful practices and build national momentum to address this issue. The visit builds on work to lock arms at every level of government to tackle national barriers in the way of housing Angelenos. Mayor Bass serves as the Chair of the U.S. Conference of Mayors Homelessness Task Force.
“When Mayors come together and unite around a common issue that all of our cities are facing, we can make national change,” said Mayor Karen Bass. “Many of our cities are facing similar barriers to moving unhoused people inside and together we will knock those barriers down. I also want to make clear the consequences of inaction. Confronting this crisis is a matter of life and death so I thank Mayor Schieve for agreeing to convene here in Los Angeles and look forward to our continued partnership.”
“As a nation, we have not made housing a priority, and the results have been devastating for too many of our fellow Americans who go unhoused. America’s cities are on the front lines of addressing the nation’s homelessness crisis, and mayors are rising to the challenge. There are many dimensions to this issue, including the nation’s mental health crisis, and our convening this week will allow mayors to work on solutions and amplify the need for Congress to do its part,” said USCM President Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve.
“It is past time for America to have a national answer that is flexible enough to meet the homelessness and housing insecurity needs on the local level. Mayors have been sounding the alarm on this for years. We must protect people from ending up out on the street,” said Tom Cochran, USCM CEO & Executive Director. “Leaders like Mayors Hillary Schieve and Karen Bass have been fighting to put this issue at the top of the national agenda. It’s been ignored for too long, and our cities need federal resources which they can direct to local solutions on housing.”
At the Convening, mayors will share best practices for addressing homelessness and engage with researchers, nonprofit leaders and federal officials, including White House Domestic Policy Advisor Neera Tanden. The meeting will also allow mayors to outline national solutions that are necessary to address the housing and homelessness challenge.
Mayors will also tour Skid Row to see the magnitude of the crisis and visit the Hilda L. Solis Care First Village to see a successful example of eliminating barriers to building temporary housing.
Press Conference Details:
WHAT:
Press Conference at U.S. Conference of Mayors National Convening on Homelessness
WHEN:
Thursday, November 9 at 3:15 pm PT
WHERE:
Address available upon RSVP. Credentialed media only. (Downtown L.A.)
WHO:
Reno (NV) Mayor Hillary Schieve, USCM President
Los Angeles (CA) Mayor Karen Bass, Chair of USCM’s Homelessness Task Force
Toledo (OH) Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz, Chair of USCM’s Community Development and Housing Committee
Houston (TX) Mayor Sylvester Turner, USCM Trustee
Mayors from across the country
Tom Cochran, USCM CEO and Executive Director
Media are invited to attend the press conference. Interested journalists should contact Sara Durr at sdurr@usmayors.org and cc lamayornews@lacity.org to RSVP.