LOS ANGELES (KNX) - Karen Bass has been LA's mayor for 12 days. Since taking office, she's held almost-daily events to talk about homelessness in Los Angeles and how she'll keep a campaign pledge to house 17,000 people during her first year in office. In Part 1 of the KNX Original Series "Mayor Karen Bass: Tracking the First 100 Days," Craig Fiegener examines how she's planning to take on that challenge.
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"This is about outreach to people and getting them housed, this is not a punitive strategy, it is not about cleaning up and clearing out; of course that will happen in the context of it," Bass said.
The Bass administration is considering purchasing or leasing vacant motels and other similar properties. Bass has said that it's the fastest way provide night-to-night shelter to people living in tent encampments.
The city is looking at whether to rent the units necessary or acquire entire buildings. "I looked at a list of 24 yesterday," said Mercedes Márquez, the mayor's housing chief.
Mayor Bass says her team is currently devising a comprehensive plan to fulfill her promise to house thousands of people living on LA's streets. It's expected to be presented in March. Bass says the city will build permanent housing but that it's not the immediate priority.
"What is it that's being promised?" asks USC's Gary Painter, the director of the Homeless Policy Research Institute of Los Angeles. "Right now we're still a little bit in the dark."
Each Friday during the first 100 days of the Bass administration, KNX will present its latest Original Series— "Mayor Karen Bass - tracking The First 100 Days." Reporter Craig Fiegener is keeping tabs on what Mayor Bass is saying she'll do and how she'll do it.
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