LOS ANGELES – Mayor Karen Bass today sent a letter to all members of the L.A. City Council to allocate $2 million in funding to clean and secure priority properties across Los Angeles. Mayor Bass allocated $2 million in her proposed FY26-27 budget to address vacant and nuisance lots. During the budget considerations, the City Council removed this funding. Read Mayor Bass’ full letter below:
Dear Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson:
According to the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS), there are more than 100 priority vacant nuisance buildings across the City of Los Angeles. These sites are often blighted, abandoned, and can pose serious public safety risks to the community and the families living nearby. Additionally, I have asked the LADBS to look into and report to the City Council other properties that are littered with trash, debris, dilapidated structures, and where there is inactive construction.
Unfortunately, securing the legal authority against private property owners to address nuisance properties has been a challenge in the City of Los Angeles for decades. In partnership with the Department of Building and Safety, my office is identifying additional ways to strengthen enforcement tools so Los Angeles can intervene earlier and move faster. I will need the help of the City Council to change City policy and to allocate the necessary resources for rapid clean up.
My Office has also worked closely with members of the City Council to successfully address nuisance properties citywide. I was proud to sign legislation led by Councilmember Monica Rodriguez this summer to significantly shorten the nuisance-abatement process and increase penalties for negligent property owners.
But we have more work to do.
In my proposed FY26-27 Budget, I allocated $2 million to address vacant and nuisance lots. During the budget considerations, the City Council removed this funding. Now, I am calling on the City Council to restore this funding so that we can begin cleaning and securing priority nuisance properties across Los Angeles. The Department of Building and Safety will be in touch to work with each Council Office to address the priority nuisance properties within their district.
This is about public safety. This is about improving our neighborhoods. This is about delivering for Angelenos. Please join me in getting this done.
Sincerely,
Mayor Karen Bass
cc: Honorable Members, Los Angeles City Council; Osama Younan, General Manager, Department of Building and Safety; Matthew W. Szabo, City Administrative Officer; Sharon Tso, Chief Legislative Analyst; Patrice Lattimore, City Clerk