LOS ANGELES (CNS) — A new Inside Safe operation in Baldwin Hills resulted in more than 35 homeless people being moved out of an encampment and into nearby motels, Los Angeles city officials announced Friday.
Mayor Karen Bass’ office confirmed the operation took place Thursday near the intersection of Obama and La Brea in Baldwin Hills, where an unverified estimate of more than 35 people experiencing homelessness were moved inside. The mayor began Inside Safe in January, a citywide strategy to bring people inside from tents and encampments and to prevent encampments from returning.
The Inside Safe operation in Baldwin Hills marks the 21st operation conducted throughout the city.
“To have our first Inside Safe operation in the Tenth District is a huge accomplishment,” according to a statement from Councilwoman Heather Hutt, who represents CD 10.
“We will continue to move forward in our goal of getting as many people housing as often as we can, and give people a genuine chance to rebuild their lives and get any necessary help they need.”
On Thursday, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority released its 2023 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, which showed that homelessness in the city jumped by 10% from last year.
According to the results of the point-in-time count conducted in January, there were 75,518 people experiencing homelessness in the county, and 46,260 in the City of Los Angeles.
That’s up from 69,144 in the county last year, and 41,980 in the city.
The figures continue a steady climb in the number of Southland homeless people over the past five years. In 2018, there were 52,765 homeless counted in the county, and 31,285 in the city.
Reflecting on the homeless count and the Inside Safe operation in Baldwin Hills, Bass, in a statement, expressed that the data “underscores urgency that we must move to bring Angelenos inside.”
“I thank Councilwoman Hutt for her partnership in this effort as we continue to scale this program and work together to confront this crisis,” Bass said in a statement.
LAHSA officials noted that the point-in-time count does not account for recent efforts to bring unhoused people inside by the city and County of Los Angeles.
Through Inside Safe, the city has brought more than 1,300 Angelenos inside. In addition, the mayor and Los Angeles City Council continue to pass legislation, fund programs and services to address the city’s homelessness and housing crisis.