Mayor Yoga Pants has regrets. One of his biggest? The absolute insanity that is L.A.'s homeless crisis.
So what's Garcetti's solution to the problem? Why money of course. Lots and lots AND LOTS of money.
During his State of the City address on Monday, Mayor Yoga Pants outlined a new plan to build emergency shelters across the city in response to the growing homeless crisis around the Southland. A count last year of the city's homeless population found more than 34,000 people in L.A. with more than 25,000 of those without any type of shelter to go to.
The shelter plan will cost taxpayers a staggering $20 million to build enough beds that would shelter as many as 1,500 people immediately. The money would become available in the city's next fiscal year which begins on July 1st. Garcetti's chief of staff says they hope to have the program up and running by that date.
The $20 million would be used by the city to purchase properties and begin construction on the shelters. The day-to-day costs of operating those shelters has not been funded and that money would need to come from the county. But the L.A. County Board of Supervisors have yet to say how much money they would add to support the plan by Garcetti.
The new shelters wouldn't be available for another two or three years. Advocates for the homeless are pushing for more immediate solutions instead of telling people, "Hey, come on back in two years, maybe we'll have a place for you."
Thanks for throwing money at the problem Garcetti. Bang up job here.
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