Rep. Karen Bass looks to build off existing programs to tackle homelessness crisis

After 12 years in congress, Rep. Karen Bass is leaving the United States Capitol in hopes of running Los Angeles' City Hall. 

She's made it clear that if she's elected to the city's top office her No. 1 priority would be to get a handle on the homelessness crisis. 

"If I have the privilege and honor of being elected mayor there is no question, day one is declaring a state of emergency to address the people who are on our streets," Bass said. 

Using the powers granted to her in a state of emergency, Bass said that she wants to get 15,000 unhoused people off the streets and into homes within her first year. However, declaring a state of emergency on homelessness isn't solely up to the mayor. 

"It ultimately will require the city council members, themselves, to seed their power over land use to the mayor," said Sarah Sadhwani, assistant professor of politics at Pomona College. "City council has been divided on a host of issues recently, especially when trying to tackle the homeless issue... It's unclear whether the city council would want to seed this power to her or anyone who wins this mayoral election."

Part of Bass' plan also includes using a mix of temporary and permanent housing that already exists. This would include vacant hotels, motels and commercial space. She also wants to do more with the money the city already has through the highly criticized Prop HHH. Although voters invested more than a billion dollars in new taxes city leaders have fallen short of reaching their goal of building 10,000 units to house the homeless. 

"Even though housing was built, exactly as you said," said Bass. "It was way too low, way too expensive. Some of it because of regulation some of it because of the way the proposition was structured... The city has properties that we could build on right away. So there's ways that we can solve this problem and seriously address the problem, but I don't believe until now there has been a commitment on every level of government to end homelessness"

Bass also wanted to address what forces people onto the streets to begin with, including mental health and substance abuse. 

"It's a perfect example of where you have to have support on the federal level," she said. "Because right now regulations say that you can't have a facility for mental health with more than 16 beds... General Hospital, the old iconic building, is empty. That could be used but that federal regulation needs to be relaxed so we can address the emergency."

However, Sadhwani said one of the biggest challenges in solving the homelessness crisis is actually getting people into these homes.

"You can have housing in place for folks but it doesn't mean you'll get them into homes," she said. "But it seems from her comments that Karen bass understands that distinction." 

With crime also top of mind for voters, Bass understood that safety is of utmost priority for many. Bass said she once felt safe in L.A. However, after burglars broke into her Baldwin Vista home, that sense had since disappeared. 

"I had felt safe in my neighborhood," she said. "My feeling of safety was definitely shattered."

Burglaries are up across the city since last year and bass wanted to increase the number of Los Angeles Police Department Officers on the streets, especially in communities that want them. 

"I'll give you an example. Studio City and Melrose, those are communities that want to see an increased presence," said Bass. "Then there are other communities that want different things to feel safe. In South L.A., they want to see serious investment in crime prevention programs and gang prevention programs. That is a major investment I want to make."

Sadhwani said Bass has maintained that campaign promise of increasing police presence in certain neighborhoods where officers are most needed.

"So certainly, she is not in the camp of defunding the police," Sadhwani said. 

Another priority for the congresswoman is to gain the trust of voters in a city that has historically seen corruption.

"I plan to have very strong ethics policies, and everyone that receives an appointment from me will have to sign an ethics pledge," she said. "I just think that the way people are cynical toward government right now, we need people to trust the government, to work with government, to see as part of their civic responsibility beyond voting."

If elected, Bass would become the first Black woman to hold the title. 

"As people vote for me, they're voting for somebody who has dedicated the majority of her life to fighting on behalf of Angelenos," she said. "I didn't spend my life enriching myself. I spent my life fighting for Angelenos ."