STATE OF CRISIS

Karen Bass’ First Act as LA Mayor: A State of Emergency Over Homelessness

The issue of homelessness was a cornerstone of her campaign, and one that repeatedly came up during her inaugural speech Sunday.

The new mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, promised to start her first day in office Monday by declaring a state of emergency in the city due to a spiraling homelessness crisis. The issue was a cornerstone of her campaign, and one that repeatedly came up during her inaugural speech Sunday. “Tomorrow morning, I will start my first day as mayor at the city’s emergency operation centers where my first act as mayor will be to declare a state of emergency on homelessness,” Bass said. “[We] will recognize the severity of our crisis and break new ground to maximize our ability to urgently move people inside and to do so for good.” She did not address the specifics of her plan, though she has promised in the past to house at least 15,000 people by the end of her first year. Bass was sworn in as the first female mayor of Los Angeles on Sunday by Vice President Kamala Harris.