Los Angeles Mayor-elect Karen Bass vowed to “hit the ground running” to tackle homelessness on her first day on the job.
Bass, the first woman elected mayor of the city on Dec. 12, said she would immediately declare a state of emergency to address a spiraling homelessness crisis, the Los Angeles Daily News reported.
In her first appearance as mayor-elect, Bass expressed “great respect” for opponent Rick Caruso and pledged to lead all Angelenos.
She vowed to lead with urgency to solve the city’s homelessness crisis, combat rising crime rates and make L.A. affordable for working families by ushering in good-paying jobs and affordable housing.
The Associated Press called the race for Bass after the latest vote tallies showed her leading by more than 6 percentage points over the billionaire developer who’d sunk $100 million into the mayoral race, a city record.
Her lead grew Thursday to 53.69 percent of the vote to Caruso’s 46.3 percent, a difference of 60,038 votes, or 7.4 points.
Outgoing Mayor Eric Garcetti called Bass’ victory “historic” and “a win for all Angelenos.”
In her address in front of the Wilshire Ebell Theatre, the 69-year-old congresswoman and mayor-elect vowed to rock the boat at a Los Angeles City Hall plagued by corruption and a recent scandal involving racist comments made by Latino councilmembers vying for power.
There are 42,000 homeless residents in the city of Los Angeles, a 1.7-percent increase from 2020, according to an official homeless count announced this fall. Homeless encampments across Los Angeles – and how to address them – were a key issue during the mayoral race.
During her campaign, Bass pledged to house more than 17,000 people in her first year at a cost of $292 million.
“If you tell me that this is the way it’s always been done and that means that we’re supposed to continue to do it this way, and we know it’s not working, then that’s just not going to happen,” Bass said. “That will not be acceptable because I will only accept solutions. That’s what my administration will deliver for L.A.”
Bass made history when she became the first Black woman to serve as speaker in the California state Assembly. Soon she’ll be the city’s second Black mayor, and first female leader.
“The magnitude of the job is sinking in, and the historical significance,” Bass said. “You always have to make sure that you maintain excellence in every step of the way.
“But when you’re thinking about that, you have to think that the path that you go is laying the foundation for those who come behind you.”
— Dana Bartholomew
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