LA’s Homeless State of Emergency Fails to Anticipate Scope, Complexity of Crisis: Expert

A homeless encampment lines a street in the Skid Row community on Dec. 14, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. New Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass declared a state of emergency on her first day in office in an effort to tackle the city’s homelessness crisis where an estimated 40,000 residents are unhoused. The Skid Row community is home to thousands of people who either live on the streets or in shelters. Mario Tama/Getty Images

News Analysis

The state of emergency announced by Mayor Karen Bass in response to the homelessness crisis in Los Angeles is a commendable first step, but it is unlikely to offer an effective long-term solution to the problem, given the sheer number of people living on the streets, and the logistical challenges of providing short-term housing for them, according to a homeless advocate in California.