Garcetti Signs Measures To Fasttrack Housing For Homeless

LOS ANGELES, CA — One day after he delivered his annual State of the City address and labeled homelessness as "the" issue facing Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti signed three measures Tuesday forwarded to him by the City Council aimed tackling the problem on multiple fronts.

Surrounded by 12 of the 15 City Council members and City Attorney Mike Feuer in his office, Garcetti signed a declaration of a homeless shelter crisis in the city, along with an ordinance that seeks to cut through red tape when getting permanent supportive housing units approved and another ordinance that eases the obstacles for converting a hotel or motel to supportive housing.

Garcetti said the three actions help attack homelessness on multiple fronts by increasing emergency shelters, permanent housing and the number of service workers.

"Today the city is moving forward with three new policies that will radically transform the way they we build emergency shelters and help us accelerate the pace of bringing people out of tents and back home. There's no question that L.A. is leaving no stone unturned," Garcetti said.

During his State of the City speech, Garcetti repeated a pledge that he is out to "end" homelessness in Los Angeles.

"We have no other choice. It's the right thing to do, it's the moral thing to do, it's the less expensive thing to do," Garcetti said. "It's also the way that our communities can have the dignity they deserve. And those Angelenos, our brothers and sisters most in need, can get the help that they need, as well."

The city's transient population jumped by 20 percent last year to more than 34,000. The results of the 2018 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count are expected to be released next month.

The shelter crisis declaration frees up the city from some state regulations when it comes to getting emergency shelters installed, and is tied to Garcetti's plan -- announced during the State of the City -- to dedicate $20 million in budget funds next fiscal year for the installation of temporary trailers, tents and safe parking facilities, with services at sites provided by the county.

Before his speech, Garcetti had resisted calling for wide implementation of temporary shelters, but made the move after multiple council members this year have said the city needs to take more aggressive action to get homeless people out of sidewalk encampments immediately.

"It's a very different day because it hasn't always been like this," Councilman Jose Huizar said while speaking about the emphasis city leaders are now putting on the homeless issue.

He added, "Back when I first got elected in 2005, our policy on homelessness was simply reactionary to the latest lawsuit and how do we accommodate the settlements. Now we are being proactive."

The plan to install tents or trailers around the city is similar to one that was recently floated by Orange County leaders but was soundly rejected by some local communities that did not want them in their city limits.

Garcetti said be believed that "NIMBY" or "not in my backyard" attitudes toward homelessness have subsided significantly in Los Angeles.

"Council members, when they heard about this ($20 million), were already falling over themselves to get this money to be the first. That's a great sign and shows just how little NIMBYism is left in this city," Garcetti said.

The Permanent Supportive Housing Ordinance cuts parking requirements and streamlines the approval process for projects with 120 units or more in much of the city and 200 or more in the downtown area. The ordinance allows developers of such projects to skip the normal review and hearing process if they meet certain requirements, among them that all of the units be affordable and at least half be set aside for homeless people.

The Motel Conversion Ordinance is aimed at converting some of the city's hotels or motels into temporary or supportive housing for the homeless by easing zoning requirements and speeding the approval process, as long as all the units are affordable and at least half of them are available for homeless people.

City News Service; Photo: -MARCH 28: Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)