Mayor Bass Brings 33 Angelenos Off the Streets of Westlake Encampment and Into Safe, Stable Housing

En Español

한국어

LOS ANGELES - Last week, Mayor Karen Bass helped 33 unhoused individuals and five pets transition from the streets into safe, stable housing through a successful Inside Safe operation in Westlake. In coordination with Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, the Inside Safe team connected residents of the encampment near Ocean View Ave and S Lake St to shelter with supportive services while clearing tents, makeshifts, and illegal dumping debris. Photos and videos available here.

"This 139th operation builds on our record of bringing thousands of Angelenos indoors while returning sidewalks and public spaces to local communities, business owners, and commuters," said Mayor Karen Bass. "The stretch of Ocean View Avenue is directly adjacent to multiple hospitals, places of worship, and apartment complexes. These Westlake families, medical professionals, and school children who regularly use these sidewalks will no longer walk by a large homelessness encampment."

"This Inside Safe operation brought dozens of our unhoused neighbors in Westlake indoors and connected them with shelter, supportive services, and a path toward permanent housing," said Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez. "We are grateful to the outreach workers and City teams who approached this operation with care and patience. Our work continues until every neighbor has a safe and stable place to call home."

Inside Safe has become a cornerstone of Los Angeles' progress in addressing homelessness, helping drive a decline in street homelessness by 11% since Mayor Bass took office - a first for Los Angeles even as homelessness continues to rise in most major cities nationwide.

Beyond voluntarily moving people off the streets, Mayor Bass is also focused on preventing individuals and families from becoming unhoused in the first place. Here's how her administration is tackling every stage in the fight to end homelessness and build more housing:

• Cutting red tape to speed up construction of affordable housing, with more than 42,000 units currently in the pipeline.

• Signing into law the first update to Los Angeles' Rent Stabilization Ordinance in 40 years.

• Implementing a research-proven eviction and homelessness prevention program through the Mayor's Fund.

• Advancing the Citywide Housing Incentive Program to expand housing opportunities along major corridors, near transit, and in neighborhoods where people already live and work, with nearly 29,000 units proposed.

• Expanding the Adaptive Reuse Ordinance citywide to convert vacant offices and parking lots into housing, with estimates of more than 43,000 potential new homes.

For more information on the Inside Safe program, visit https://mayor.lacity.gov/InsideSafe.