The Los Angeles City Council passed a City Resolution authored by Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson to support HR 56 (Santiago) and SR 84 (Hall), which request that the Governor declare a Homeless State of Emergency in California. Los Angeles has become the Homeless Capital of America, home to 21 percent of the nation’s homeless individuals and families. HR 56 (Santiago) and SR 84 (Hall) assert that taxpayers can save money by housing and stabilizing chronically homeless individuals.
The city is urging immediate and decisive action to ensure that Los Angeles receives the resources necessary to combat the growing problems facing our region. The City is doing its part, passing a $138 million in funding for the 2016-2017 budget and placing a $1.2 billion on the November ballot to fund permanent supportive housing.
“We need real solutions to one of the biggest problems facing the residents of Los Angeles,” said Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson. “Our leaders in Sacramento have taken the huge step of authoring HR 56 and SR 84, and now we need to follow through and declare a State of Emergency. Homelessness is an all hands on deck problem that requires solutions at every level of government”.
Additionally, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to ask both the State Assembly and State Senate to seek an emergency declaration from the governor.
Councilmember Harris-Dawson represents the 8th Council District of Los Angeles, and is Chair of the Homelessness & Poverty Committee. That committee created the City’s first Comprehensive Homeless Strategy earlier this year.
