\n\n“Five years after Los Angeles voters approved a $1.2 billion bond measure and a countywide sales tax hike to raise another estimated $355 million annually to solve its homelessness problem, there are more people living and dying on the streets than ever before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many of these men and women are both frequent targets and perpetrators of violence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mayor Eric Garcetti (D), who did not respond to our interview request, has partially blamed this failure on the pandemic, which slowed new housing construction and limited shelter capacity. It’s true that COVID caused a surge in homelessness, but the city’s plan was already failing.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
…<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The centerpiece of L.A.’s plan was to spend the $1.2 billion raised through Proposition HHH to build 10,000 supportive housing units over a decade. Even if the government were able to pull that off, it would merely put a dent in the problem in a city where more than 30,000 people are living on the streets and sidewalks according to the 2020 homelessness count.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Five years into the 10-year plan, just 14 projects are in service. Of the promised 10,000 supportive housing units, the city has completed fewer than 700.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n It would take more than 30 years to house all of the people currently homeless in L.A. county at that pace, according to a federal court order<\/a>.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n