Los Angeles Allocates $3 Billion Towards Housing the Homeless

By: Brian Tang

As a result of a complaint filed in 2020 by various residents, business owners, and community leaders, the city of Los Angeles has proposed to spend $3 billion over the next five years to attempt to house its homeless population of about 41,000 individuals.

The complaint filed in 2020 accused the city of failing to address the homelessness crisis and its associated conditions of crime, hunger, and COVID-19. The proposed $3 billion would build housing with 14,000 to 16,000 beds, which would house around 60% of the homeless population throughout Los Angeles. Some of these funds would also be allocated towards providing mental health care, substance misuse treatment, and outpatient rehab beds for the homeless population. 

Discussing the homelessness crisis has increased tension between city and county officials who each blame the other for not taking any action to curb the crisis. City officials have now decided to take action instead of engaging in slow back-and-forth discourse with county officials regarding litigation. 

Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/los-angeles-agrees-spend-3-billion-house-homeless-residents-rcna22635 

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