CNN
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Karen Bass was sworn in as the first female mayor of Los Angeles on Sunday, marking one other historic achievement in her profession.
Kamala Harris – the first girl and first girl of shade to change into vice chairman – administered the oath of workplace at Los Angeles City Hall.
Bass targeted her remarks Sunday on her plans to unravel town’s housing disaster, with some 40,000 folks residing on the streets.
“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.”
She mentioned her first act as mayor can be to declare a state of emergency on homelessness.
Though billions of {dollars} in state, metropolis and county cash are being directed towards interim and everlasting housing models, building has moved slowly. The newest rely measured a 1.7% rise in homelessness from the final rely in 2020.
Bass’ plan requires housing 15,000 folks by the tip of one 12 months and ending tent encampments utilizing current funding. She has mentioned town would put extra sources into skilled “neighborhood service teams” to attach folks with housing and psychological well being companies.
The six-term congresswoman has argued that her longtime relationships with state and nationwide lawmakers would consequence in elevated funding to Los Angeles to handle 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 larger quantity of beds.
Bass, whose home was burglarized earlier this 12 months in the course of the marketing campaign, has additionally promised to handle issues 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 shifting a minimum of 250 cops again onto patrol from administrative work and has mentioned she would rent extra civilian staff to unencumber 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 first Black girl to serve as speaker of any state legislature.
When Bass takes workplace, the 4 largest cities in 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 extra developments.
