LOS ANGELES – Mayor Bass and members of the City Council returned to Los Angeles today after advocating in Sacramento for the much-needed resources for the region and advancing policy initiatives to help bring more Angelenos inside. During the trip, the delegation announced that the Los Angeles region would be receiving more than $300 million in emergency reimbursements. The delegation encouraged the most powerful elected leaders in California for other advancements and progress including California Governor Gavin Newsom, State Senate Pro-Tem Mike McGuire, and State Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas as well as the budget chairs of both chambers.
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“Our partnership with the state has delivered significant progress for our city and now, thanks to Governor Newsom and his cabinet, hundreds of millions of dollars in long awaited COVID-19 reimbursement funding will be delivered to Los Angeles,” said Mayor Bass. “I really want to thank Council President Krekorian, Councilman Blumenfield, Councilwoman Rodriguez, Councilman Soto-Martinez, and Councilmember Hernandez for joining me on this historic trip to advocate for Los Angeles. We will continue to join forces at every level of government to save lives and bring Angelenos inside and thank the Governor for continuing to lock arms with us and deliver for the people of Los Angeles.”
“The City of Los Angeles stepped up during simultaneous crises of homelessness, COVID, and catastrophic storms,” said City Council President Paul Krekorian. “Thanks to close collaboration between the Mayor, the City Council, Governor Newsom, and our State legislative leaders, our city and the greater Los Angeles area will be receiving over $300 million in reimbursements through FEMA, which will be a great help in our continuing efforts to house our unsheltered population and provide more affordable housing for working Angelenos.”
The delegation included Council President Paul Krekorian, Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, Councilmember Monica Rodriguez, Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez and Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez. Council President Paul Krekorian served as a member of Mayor Bass’ leadership team when she was Speaker of the California State Assembly. Councilmember Bob Blumenfield was appointed by then-Speaker Bass to Chair the Assembly Budget Committee during the Great Recession.
The following is a readout of meetings during the delegation trip:
California Governor Gavin Newsom - The delegation met with Governor Newsom to thank him for his continued partnership with Los Angeles, including the new announcement that CalOES will disburse over $300 million in FEMA reimbursements to the region, including $60 million directly to the City. The delegation requested that the Governor revise a proposal for Los Angeles to return housing funds that have already been allocated. The delegation secured a commitment from the Governor to prioritize the swift approval of a pending MOU between Caltrans and the City to expedite clean-ups of freeway underpasses and also advocated for approval of the City’s application to the Encampment Resolution Fund grant program.
State Treasurer Fiona Ma – The delegation met with State Treasurer Fiona Ma to discuss the challenges developers and housing providers face in fully utilizing the waivers granted to Los Angeles by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Treasurer committed to reviewing guidance for developers to help address this issue. The group discussed innovative public-private partnerships to build more affordable housing and how they can leverage the various investment programs the Treasurer administers, as well as increase awareness of the various savings programs the Treasurer administers.
Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency Secretary Tomiquia Moss – The Delegation met with Secretary Tomiquia Moss to discuss how the state can allow for developers and housing providers to avoid penalties when using the federal waivers granted to L.A. by HUD. The delegation also advocated for Los Angeles’ Encampment Resolution Funding grant application. The Secretary and delegation committed to working together to address the homelessness crisis and increase the housing supply.
Toks Omishakin, Secretary, California State Transportation Agency – The delegation met with Secretary Toks Omishakin as they continue to work to house unhoused Angelenos who are living under and near freeways. Specifically, the delegation requested that the Secretary swiftly approve a pending MOU between Caltrans and the City to expedite clean-ups of freeway underpasses, working with new programs to house Angelenos like Inside Safe. The delegation also explored ways the City and State can partner to beautify freeways with murals, as well as the need for continued investment in L.A.’s public transportation system. The delegation and the Secretary also discussed continued recovery from the I-10 Freeway fire.
The delegation met individually with State Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire, State Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, State Senate Budget Committee Chair Scott Wiener, and State Assembly Budget Committee Chair Jesse Gabriel. In those meetings, the delegation asked for support for SB 1500 (Durazo), which would allow developers and housing providers to use the waivers granted by HUD to L.A to more easily bring Angelenos indoors without penalties. The group advocated for the Legislature to restore proposed cuts to housing and infrastructure programs including funds awarded to Los Angeles.
The delegation met with the Los Angeles County Legislative Delegation to build support for Los Angeles’ priority areas including homelessness, transportation, infrastructure, sustainability and city services. The Los Angeles County Legislative Delegation includes 24 Assemblymembers and 13 State Senators. Assemblymember Tina McKinnor serves as Chair of the delegation and Senator Maria Elena Durazo serves as the Vice Chair.
Nancy Ward, Director, California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services – The delegation met with Director Nancy Ward, to ask for expedited disbursement of COVID-related FEMA reimbursements. When reimbursements are approved by FEMA, they are sent to CalOES before being sent to the city. In the wake of major storms, the group discussed disaster preparedness and recovery. The group explored how the city and state can work together to combat organized criminal activity impacting L.A. and cities across the country.