Helping The Unhoused
Problem: It's time to stop treating LA's unhoused challenges like a permanent feature of our great city and time to start implementing solutions.
Action: Everyone deserves shelters, not sidewalks. I will take action as follows to drive real, measurable results:
Turn vacant and underutilized federal buildings into housing now. I will work with city leadership, Democrat leaders and anyone else who is focused on solutions to turn vacant federal and city buildings in LA into supportive housing on time and on budget - cutting red tape that’s left them sitting idle.
A bed for every head. We need to rethink how we design our shelters. A lot of unhoused people don't have access to available beds due to having pets, or not being able to keep all their possessions. This will change with new standards of sheltering with dignity, so the unhoused can keep more of their possessions and stay with their pets.
Bathroom breaks for all. A major challenge in our cities is our unhoused population often don't have access to a bathroom. I will fight for federal transit funds (In early 2024, the LA region secured nearly $900 million in federal funding for transportation and transit upgrades) to include funding for every open train station to have at least one open, staffed, and clean restroom, and earmark a portion of ongoing federal transit infrastructure dollars to restroom retrofits and cleaning contracts. This will give everyone the dignity of a bathroom when they need it and help keep streets cleaner.
Reunite Families. For unhoused who are looking to find their way home to welcoming family or friends, we will partner with individuals to confirm a safe destination and cover the cost of a ticket home via bus, train or plane. This will be paid for by re-allocating existing federal funding.
Expand mental health + addiction care alongside housing. Tie federal housing dollars to expanded clinics and treatment beds so people don’t just get a bed, they get the help they need.
Real spending, real outcomes. The federal government provides billions in federal assistance to the city and county of Los Angeles. I will fight to get more of that money allocated to our unhoused challenges as a measurable and accountable program that actually reduces our unhoused population. This is the only way we will make progress after decades of trying. Additionally, I will fight to tax corporate landlords and end vacant property tax breaks that unlock new funding for real solutions without another tax increase.
