LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky, Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez and Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath announced the newest Inside Safe operation, which concluded yesterday near Poinsettia Park in the Fairfax area. More than 35 Angelenos were brought inside through this operation. This citywide, voluntary approach leads with housing and services and is one feature in a comprehensive strategy to confront the homelessness crisis. Click here to read more about Inside Safe.
“We must continue to operate with urgency and help bring unhoused Angelenos inside as quickly as possible,” said Mayor Karen Bass. “Thousands of Angelenos have been helped so far. This is a matter of life and death. Being inside is better than being outside.”
This is the 35th Inside Safe operation in Los Angeles. The initiative is responsible for bringing more than 2,000 Angelenos inside. Mayor Bass is moving Los Angeles forward with an urgent and strategic approach to confronting the homelessness crisis, which includes declaring a state of emergency, taking action to dramatically accelerate and lowering the cost of building affordable and temporary housing, moving to maximize the use of City-owned property for temporary and permanent housing and cutting through red tape to move people into permanent housing.
"Yesterday's Inside Safe operation will greatly improve the quality of life for those formerly unhoused individuals who moved inside," said Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky. "It also restores a sense of security and well-being for the larger Poinsettia Park community, who have been impacted for several years. I am deeply grateful to Mayor Bass, Councilmember Soto-Martinez, and Supervisor Horvath for their continued partnership as we tackle the humanitarian crisis of homelessness head on.”
“Thanks to our collaboration with Mayor Bass and Councilmember Yaroslavsky, dozens of people will be able to sleep tonight in their own rooms with a door that locks and a roof over their heads,” said Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez. “These efforts are absolutely critical to solving our homelessness crisis, and we’re looking forward to more progress throughout the year.”
“City-County partnership and dedicated nonprofit partners are bringing people inside across Los Angeles and the Third District, including this week’s operation near Poinsettia Park,” said L.A. County Board Chair Lindsey P. Horvath. “Providing secure shelter, combined with the County's comprehensive wraparound services, ensures safety and empowers people with the opportunity for a fresh start, enabling them to rebuild their lives.”
“This life-saving work is made possible by an unprecedented alignment within our system around the goal of ending unsheltered homelessness,” said LAHSA CEO Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kellum. “I am heartened to see LAHSA, the City, the County, and our partners in the provider community working so closely together and achieving such meaningful results. We must continue to focus on bringing people inside and to spark hope by providing stability and life-changing services.”
Inside Safe supports the following five goals:
Reduce the loss of life on our streets
Increase access to mental health and substance abuse treatment for those living in encampments
Eliminate street encampments
Promote long-term housing stability for people experiencing homelessness
Enhance the safety and hygiene of neighborhoods for all residents, businesses, and neighbors
Inside Safe is just one part of Mayor Bass’ comprehensive strategy to urgently confront the homelessness crisis. Mayor Bass announced in December that more than 3,000 people had been brought into permanent housing under Mayor Bass’ administration and that includes hundreds of people who moved to permanent housing from Inside Safe. More than 7,000 housing vouchers were provided, and more than 21,000 people came into interim housing during the same period. The administration is focused on housing more people and also building housing faster – with more than 10,000 units of affordable housing expedited in the City of Los Angeles.
Read the Inside Safe Executive Directive here.