Statement from Los Angeles Business Council on State of Emergency on Homelessness

The Los Angeles Business Council today issued the following statement:

The Los Angeles Business Council applauds Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass for issuing a state of emergency declaration for homelessness that will give her the executive power to reduce barriers to the development of much needed shelter and affordable housing. We also thank the LA City Council leadership for supporting her call to action on this important first step as Mayor and chief executive of the city.

Mayor Bass recognizes the severity of the homelessness crisis, which the LABC has long advocated to be treated with the same urgency and dedication of resources that we've harnessed to address other regional crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic or Northridge earthquake.

While there have been plenty of well-intentioned measures and rhetoric at all levels of government, the L.A. region ultimately has failed to deliver policy solutions commensurate with the scale and urgency of the homelessness and affordable housing crisis. The status quo is failing our communities, with grave health, safety, and economic implications for the entire region. These executive orders will help cut through the red tape and expedite the process to adequately address the crisis on our streets as well as incentivize the private and nonprofit sectors to step up and commit to producing the shelter and affordable housing we need so desperately.

We commend Mayor Bass for demanding bolder, more incisive action from the city to both shelter the unhoused as well as spur the development of critically needed affordable housing to address the region's escalating housing crisis which is driving more people to live on the streets. These measures, while temporary, lay the groundwork for the types of reforms housing providers have been asking for to fix the currently disjointed and cumbersome development process in the City of Los Angeles.

We look forward to working with Mayor Bass and serving as a partner as she seeks to swiftly shelter unhoused Angelenos and expedite affordable housing development.