LOS ANGELES (CNS) — Los Angeles City Councilman Kevin de Leon introduced a plan Tuesday that he said will create 25,000 new homeless housing units by 2025.
His plan, titled "A Way Home," involves nine motions that aim to revamp city policies and change regulations that hold-up housing unit construction.
"Sadly, our great city has lacked what I call a 'Northstar,' a clearly defined objective, and a timeline for achieving that objective. By introducing a comprehensive plan, we are providing a way for the people we represent to hold us accountable for delivering results," de Leon said.
"Our Northstar must be a goal around which everyone — city, county, state, and federal partners — will organize and work to achieve. That is why today, I am introducing "A Way Home" — a plan that unites all of us around a common objective: building a path to ending the homelessness crisis in Los Angeles."
De Leon seeks to review projects that were approved for funding but haven't started to move along yet. He also wants to streamline approval processes, which his office calls a major barrier to developing cost-effective housing projects.
Motions introduced Tuesday include:
- having the Chief Administrative Officer and the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority develop metrics to determine if hotels and motels can be turned into temporary and permanent homeless housing;
- having various departments evaluate how other California jurisdictions have developed design standards for shelters;
- having the Los Angeles Housing and Community Investment Department report on Proposition HHH-funded projects' statuses and how it compares to their statuses when they were awarded letters of commitment; and
- having the Los Angeles City Attorney report legal options for withdrawing letters of commitment for Proposition HHH-funded projects.
The motions received support from de Leon's colleagues including Councilwomen Nithya Raman and Monica Rodriguez and Councilman Mitch O'Farrell.
"A Way Home" also received support Tuesday from lawmakers in the California Legislature, who appeared with de Leon in a virtual news conference ahead of Tuesday's city council meeting.
"Councilmember, I am with you in this effort to move members of our unhoused community into safe and affordable housing. I will take this fight with me to Sacramento to ensure we secure funding for this devastating crisis," said California Sen. Maria Elena Durazo, D-Los Angeles.
The initiative also has the support of Assemblyman Miguel Santiago, D- Los Angeles.
"I am committed to pressing my colleagues in the Assembly to support this program, and others like it, that aim to strategically and comprehensively reverse the homelessness crisis in our state," he said.