Act Daily News
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Karen Bass was sworn in as the primary feminine mayor of Los Angeles on Sunday, marking one other historic achievement in her profession.
Kamala Harris – the primary girl and first girl of shade to grow to be vice chairman – administered the oath of workplace at Los Angeles City Hall.
Bass centered her remarks Sunday on her plans to unravel town’s housing disaster, with some 40,000 individuals residing on the streets, and mentioned her first act as mayor shall be to declare a state of emergency on homelessness.
“Today, too many Angelenos have no choice but to crowd multiple families into one home, and to work multiple jobs just to barely pay rent,” Bass mentioned.
“Tragically, our city has earned the shameful crown as being home to the most crowded neighborhoods in the nation – Pico Union, South L.A., East L.A., the East Valley,” she added. “And Angelenos, we know our mission – we must build housing in every neighborhood.”
Though billions of {dollars} in state, metropolis and county cash are being directed towards interim and everlasting housing models, development has moved slowly. The newest depend measured a 1.7% rise in homelessness from the final depend in 2020.
Bass’ plan requires housing 15,000 individuals by the tip of 1 yr and ending tent encampments utilizing present funding. She has mentioned town would put extra sources into skilled “neighborhood service teams” to attach individuals with housing and psychological well being providers.
The six-term congresswoman has argued that her longtime relationships with state and nationwide lawmakers would end in elevated funding to Los Angeles to deal with town’s housing disaster.
Bass has additionally promised to make use of her connections inside the Biden administration to troubleshoot issues like the necessity for extra federal housing vouchers. As mayor, she has mentioned she would additionally pursue federal waivers to permit the creation of psychological well being and substance abuse services with a better variety of beds.
Bass, whose residence was burglarized earlier this yr in the course of the marketing campaign, has additionally promised to deal with considerations about crime, noting her proposal to deliver police staffing again up at a time when town has struggled to recruit new officers. She has proposed transferring not less than 250 cops again onto patrol from administrative work and has mentioned she would rent extra civilian workers to liberate extra officers to get again on the beat.
Bass overcame a fierce problem from actual property magnate Rick Caruso, who spent greater than $104 million to defeat her in November. She’s succeeding term-limited Mayor Eric Garcetti.
Elected to the California state Assembly in 2004, Bass made historical past some 4 years later as the primary Black girl to function speaker of any state legislature.
When Bass takes workplace, the 4 largest cities within the US will all have Black mayors – that features Eric Adams of New York City, Lori Lightfoot of Chicago and Sylvester Turner of Houston.
This story has been up to date with further developments.