LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti's top homelessness policy adviser today was among representatives attending a meeting with California Gov. Gavin Newsom at which experts from across the state shared successes and challenges in confronting the homelessness crisis in communities throughout the state.
The convening at the Stanislaus Veterans Center in Modesto was attended by Deputy Mayor for City Homelessness Initiatives Christina Miller, who gave a presentation on Los Angeles's approach to bridge housing shelters.
``Homelessness is a statewide and national crisis that demands intense focus, the brightest minds and our best ideas,'' Garcetti said. ``The council is bringing all of that to the table for California at a moment when we have to act with urgency to confront the emergency on our streets and do everything in our power to bring people indoors as quickly as possible.''
Today's meeting was held as the state Legislature enters the final weeks of the 2019 session. Garcetti is supporting several pieces of legislation that are intended accelerate the city's efforts to confront the homelessness crisis.
-- A.B. 1482, authored by Assemblyman David Chiu, to protect renters from rising costs and unfair evictions.
-- A.B. 1197, authored by Assemblyman Miguel Santiago, which would help stop lawsuits intended to block construction of housing for homeless Angelenos by providing a blanket California Environmental Quality Act exemption for all Proposition HHH-funded supportive housing, A Bridge Home sites and all state-backed shelters.
-- S.B. 329, authored by state Senator Holly Mitchell, would strengthen protections for low-income residents by expanding anti-income discrimination provisions for Section 8 and other vouchers across California.
A total of 26 emergency shelters in the city's A Bridge Home initiative are expected to be open by next year, and the last round of funding for construction loans for a total of 7,600 permanent supportive housing units in Los Angeles was recently approved for City Council consideration.