Karen Bass is the 43rd Mayor of Los Angeles and the first woman and Black woman to be elected as City’s Chief Executive. She began her term intending to promptly house people, and enhancing safety and opportunity in all parts of L.A. Last month marked her first official year in office as Mayor. 

She offered a glimpse into her inaugural year in office during an interview with Westside Voice. 

Noor Sufi (NS): In your role as Mayor, how have you fostered collaboration and partnerships with other local leaders or organizations to enhance the city’s well-being? Specifically, can you address City/County relations at the one-year mark, a relationship famous for its tension?

Karen Bass (KB): The City and the County continue to lock arms to deliver for L.A. and that’s been evident all year – uniting to declare a state of emergency on homelessness and implementing a regional approach to bring Angelenos inside urgently. I have a close and unique relationship with each Supervisor and each of us understands that the time for finger-pointing is over. We know the work ahead of us and we will continue that work until it is done. 

NS: You’ve mentioned looking outside of government to continue fighting homelessness in L.A. Can you elaborate on how the city works with the private sector and non-profit organizations? What specific collaborations have been formed, and how do they contribute to the current efforts addressing homelessness?

KB: The Mayor’s Office of Housing and Homelessness Solutions is executing a citywide strategy to urgently bring people inside from the streets, build a housing and services continuum that includes expanding interim housing infrastructure, accelerating construction of permanent affordable housing, cutting through red tape to move people from the streets to permanent housing faster and locking arms at all levels of government and in partnership with local nonprofits and the private sector to ensure people stay housed. This week, we announced that the City received a $500,000 grant from the Wells Fargo Foundation to the California Housing Partnership Corporation (CHPC) to establish a reinvestment plan for repairing existing affordable housing units. In the coming year, we will continue expanding public-private partnerships, especially as it relates to homelessness because we all have skin in the game. 

NS: You launched Inside Safe in December of 2022. Can you share any insights into the program’s implementation accomplishments and issues over the last year? What contribution has it made to the overall effort to reduce homelessness in L.A.?

KB: Inside Safe has dispelled the myth that unhoused Angelenos do not want to come inside. We’ve housed nearly 2,000 Angelenos, but it’s just one part of a comprehensive plan that brought more than 21,000 Angelenos inside in a single year.

NS:​​ You expressed your concerns for mental health in L.A. in the past. Are there educational initiatives or community outreach programs planned for the new year?

KB: We need to implement all types of different strategies to address the mental health and substance abuse crisis on our streets, including educational initiatives and community outreach. I’m very proud to have a full outreach team, many of whom have firsthand experience with homelessness so that we can engage our unhoused neighbors in a different way. Services are vital for our success in these efforts. 

NS: Given the increasing importance of environmental sustainability, how has the city of L.A. worked in the last year to become more environmentally friendly? Is there a specific policy or project in place to address climate change and promote a greener future for the city?

KB: Building on the work of former Mayors Antonio Villaraigosa and Eric Garcetti, we have been able to deliver progress toward building a greener L.A. Hundreds of millions of dollars secured through locking arms with state and federal partners as L.A. continues to urgently lead on climate.

NS: Do you feel you’ve had much success reaching younger residents of voting age? If so – how?

KB: Young people are the future and I’ve been so fortunate to have many young folks come and work in the Mayor’s Office. We of course will continue our work to ensure that we are getting important information to Angelenos of all ages, including L.A.’s youngest generation of future leaders.

NS: The Los Angeles City Council recently approved up to a six percent increase in rent. What measures are you taking to ensure that this increase does not place an undue burden on the city’s residents, or render them unhoused?

KB: We will only successfully address the homelessness crisis if we prevent Angelenos from falling into homelessness in the first place. Over the past year, we’ve made good progress providing resources to Angelenos in need and we will continue that important work in the new year. 

NS: UNITE HERE Local 11 workers have been striking at several area hotels for a few months now, and their efforts seem to be increasingly paying off. At Westside Voice, we are generally supportive of the union, so forgive us if this sounds leading – Do you believe hospitality workers deserve to share in the fruits of a succeeding economy, especially as we expect thousands of visitors for the World Cup and 2028 Olympic Games?

KB: I believe in workers receiving their fair contracts, especially in the context of the World Cup and the 2028 Olympic Games.

NS: Lastly, as mayor of a Blue city in a very Blue state, how can you best help President Biden succeed in 2024?

KB: I will do everything in my power to ensure that President Biden and Vice President Harris are re-elected in 2024.

Photo provided by the Mayor’s Office