Mayor Bass’ State of the City Address As Delivered

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LOS ANGELES - Mayor Karen Bass' State of the City Address as delivered:

Good afternoon.

It is amazing to see everyone here today, and thank you so much for taking the time out to come. And how about our schools? UCLA Bruins in the house. USC! Thank you all so much for coming today and showing the Battle of the Bands. But at the end of the Battle of the Bands, what was it about? It was about we love LA! Right?

And because we're together. And let me just thank all of you, especially all of the community leaders that are here today, the community members, the elected officials, everybody that took the time out to be here today. Our police chief, our fire chief. 


Everybody's here to celebrate our city, and to count down for the amazing events that are going to come in less than 122 days.

And I know Mayor Butts is somewhere in this crowd. Where is he? Where's Mayor Butts? I know he's here. If he's not, he's coming here. Because in a few short days, there's gonna be the All Star Basketball Game. And then when the World Cup actually comes, it is in Inglewood. And I call him the mayor that transformed the city.

So, what a great place to gather here today. The day after the Grammys, where artists from every background came together, right here in LA, and the world watched once again.

And that feels familiar for the city that we love - just think, we are a city built by Native communities and Mexican pobladores; by Asian and Black families seeking freedom; by immigrants from every corner of the world who arrived with little more than faith, but left an indelible mark.

That this story is personal to me because my father was one of them. My father came to Los Angeles during the Great African American Migration from the Jim Crow South in the 1940s. My father, along with others, came carrying more hope than guarantees, more faith than resources, and a belief that this city could hold a future for him.

And he wasn't alone. Los Angeles was built by people who believed in something bigger than themselves and they made a brave decision: to build a life - and a future - together.

And what a fitting place to gather here today - at the Expo Center. This is where my own grandson swims every summer right out there. And it's just two miles at South Park where I first learned to swim - and I'm a lifelong swimmer today.

And being here is a powerful reminder of something I need to say to you today:

Our city has always been about bringing people together - including to protest injustice - and doing so peacefully. That is not just our value, that is our strength.

This is a consequential moment for our democracy, and the 250 years of our country. People have a right to be concerned and a right to raise their voices - and I hope every one of you will continue to do so because our rights, our democracy, and our country have never been more fragile than it is today.

Angelenos, I know we will get through this moment the way we always do: by standing together, staying peaceful, staying engaged, and even in this difficult chapter, great events - moments of unity are possible and they are coming. And they're coming soon.

So starting in June, in just 122 days, our city will host the Women's U.S. Open at the Riviera Country Club in the Palisades. We will host that.

And fans across the city and after days after the U.S. Fans from across the globe, not just the city, will come to Los Angeles for the FIFA World Cup.

Now let me be clear though: these moments will not belong only to those who can afford the seats. Have you seen how much they cost? Well they're going to belong to all of us because that's why I'm so excited to announce today that we will host more than 100 watch parties and events throughout every city council district, every city council district during the World Cup, and they will all be free, and they will all be open to the public.

Because I want Los Angeles to know, when we say games for all, we mean for all of you, because everyone here should participate, and every neighborhood should benefit when these games come to our city. 


So I was born and raised here - and I'm a proud graduate of Hamilton High. Some yankees in the room? And I also attended several of the great colleges of this city. I grew up in neighborhoods where you learned early that LA is complicated - it's diverse, it's imperfect, and always in motion.

But long before I ever held public office, I worked in hospitals. I cared for Angelenos at their most vulnerable moments. I saw, firsthand, how systems can fail families when they need help the most. I saw, up close, both extraordinary opportunity and painful inequality.

And I learned that the measure of a city - and of a person - is who you lift up along the way. That everyone deserves dignity, and no one should be invisible.

That is what guides me every day as your mayor.

Some of the people I love the most are here with me today. Where are you? Where is my family? My daughter, Yvette, two of my three grandsons. Come on, you have to stand up. Michael, my son in law, Michael, and the newest addition to our family, Oliver. I think I will say that he's the first child born at Getty House. Well, he was actually born at the hospital. You know what I mean? 


They are the reason that the future of Los Angeles is deeply personal to me.

Every day, I fight for a better future for them and for each of you. From our labs and classrooms, from our small businesses and neighborhood storefronts, from family kitchens, and to community tables, where we argue, we argue a lot, huh? We gather, we listen, and we laugh, and we understand one another. We are all of us neighbors in this city.

And I don't know about you, but do you remember how it felt that Monday after the Dodgers won back-to-back World Series?
All right. No one cared where you were born, how you prayed, or how you voted.

We were all one city - and we were all proud to be on the same team.

That is the feeling I want every person in this city to know. The feeling that says: you belong here. This city is yours.

And we all need to remember that what unites us is far stronger than anything, or anyone, trying to tear us apart.

I've seen that truth proven my entire life.

That when Los Angeles stands together - because nothing, nothing, nothing - can stop us. Nothing can stop us when we stand together in Los Angeles.

Now, before I talk about the incredible events coming our way in 122 days, I want to speak plainly, from one Angeleno to another, about our shared resilience, our spirit, our faith in one another - and how we must move forward together.

Last January, as flames tore through the Palisades, neighbors ran toward danger to help escape others.

We saw courage in its purest form - we saw firefighters working around the clock. Even when some of them knew they might lose their own homes. Angelenos reached out with food, clothing, and open arms. Angelenos of all kinds handed out water and masks, and guided strangers to safety.

This city refused to turn away from one another.

Now over the past year Angelenos, I have heard your grief, I heard your anger, your exhaustion. I have sat with Palisades families who lost their homes, their livelihoods, and all sense of normalcy and I carry your stories with me. And I want to take a moment to thank you - for your honesty, for your resilience, and for making me a stronger leader.

I also know many of you ask: When will life ever feel normal again?

I want you to know that every day without a home is a day too long. Every argument with your insurance company is another hour that you will never get back.

That's why we're moving with urgency. We've expedited the entire rebuilding process without compromising safety, and we've overhauled, permitting, the building permitting system. We've brought in new leadership to overhaul fire preparedness and emergency response.

And yes, we are fighting the next battle: holding financial institutions and the insurance industry from abandoning Los Angeles - because recovery should never feel harder than the disaster itself.

That's why next week, I will travel to Sacramento along with Councilmember Park and a delegation of Palisadians - to make clear to the State that continued investment in rebuilding the Palisades is not optional. It is essential.

We are not just rebuilding - we are rebuilding smarter, faster, and safer.

And today, more than 400 homes are under construction, and hundreds more have been approved and are ready to rebuild.

Families are returning home, this is progress, but we're not gonna slow down.

We will continue building stronger and better, and we will be prepared in the city, if and when the next disaster hits, we will be ready. But you know, just as LA was finding its footing again, we were tested once again. This time, not by Mother Nature, but by our very own federal government.

I will never forget Friday, June 6th, 2025. Without communication, without notice, and without respect for this city, Washington chose LA for its first experiment, for its first testing ground.

For days and weeks, masked men in unmarked cars, sped through our streets, and swept up parents picking up kids from school, day laborers in Home Depot, people who worked in car washes, landscapers - people disappeared from our streets as if we lived in a police state, not the United States.

They even detained David Huerta, one of the most respected labor leaders in this country. He was treated like a criminal. 


And then days later, the Trump administration escalated again, sending thousands of National Guard members into our city. Ultimately, a handful of them just protected two federal buildings. While the rest of them played video games
 somewhere outside of Los Angeles, such an incredible misuse of our young men and women in the military. This wasn't security. It was theater, that's what it was.

Let's also not forget that infamous moment when former Border Patrol Commander-at-large Greg Bovino. Where is he today? Greg Bovino sent troops, some even on horseback, into MacArthur Park. They claimed authority over a park where many of our children, young children were playing. And in that moment, I had no option but to confront him. Because no leader who loves her city stays silent while Angelenos are terrorized on their neighborhood playground.

Those of us who live here know the truth: the violence - which we condemned and were fully capable of handling. Right to handle - It was contained to a few blocks Downtown in a city that is 500 square miles.

But the Administration preferred a made-for-TV crisis to the facts.

And yet, during those long summer days, I want to remind you that neighbors looked out for neighbors. Communities formed rapid-response networks. People stood together to defend loved ones and strangers. I felt so proud to be an Angeleno and I bet all of you did as well.

While the National Guard has since left, the brutality of the raids has not.

Raids continue every day in Los Angeles. And with them have come the devastating losses of life.

Here in Los Angeles, Keith Porter - a 43-year-old father of two - was shot to death by an off-duty ICE officer. In Minneapolis, Renée Nicole Good - a 37-year-old poet, mother, and wife - was also shot to death during federal enforcement operations. Days later, Alex Pretti - a 37-year-old intensive care nurse for the Department of Veterans Affairs - was also shot to death.

So staying silent or minimizing what has happened is not an option. This Administration does not care about safety. They do not care about order. And they certainly do not care about the law.

This senseless death, lawlessness, and violence must end. And so must the presence of ICE in Los Angeles.

Let me make this clear: Across this country, mayors and local leaders have become the last line of defense for democracy in people's daily lives, standing where federal leadership has abdicated its duty to protect you.

That's why I joined over 130 mayors across this country when the raids began - all of us determined to push back through our offices, through our communities, and through the law.

Many years ago, just think about this, from the ICE raids, to my memory. And I think maybe a few of you here remember this.
I was honored to be in the Coliseum, right behind me, where Nelson Mandela spoke.

Anybody here remember that? How many people were in the Coliseum for that? There's a few of us that have been around.

Nelson Mandela was just released after 27 years in a South African prison. And he said, "We who have suffered and continue to suffer the pain of oppression know that underneath that face of Los Angeles lies a great and noble spirit."

Is our spirit great and noble? I think our spirit is great and noble. I know it is. Because in Los Angeles, we always stand up for our people, on the same moral high ground as those who came before us. We protest for what is right - peacefully and non-violently. We stand up for everyone who calls this city home. No amount of intimidation, bullying, or pressure from Washington will ever change that.

But standing up for our people is not just about words. It's about action. It is about confronting the challenges that shape daily life for millions of Angelenos - A few of those crises affordability, housing, homelessness, good-paying jobs, and public safety. That is the responsibility we will meet together.

The greatest test of LA is whether people can afford to live here.

Across Los Angeles - too many neighbors are packing multiple families into one apartment, or working two and three jobs just to stay housed. I know many of you are wondering if you will ever be able to own a home. And if you're a young person listening today, you already know this because you live it.

That's why my first Executive Directive fast-tracked affordable housing construction across Los Angeles. And so far, we've accelerated the building of 33,000 housing units across the City, and 6,000 are currently under construction. And let me thank the members of the City Council because the City Council made the Executive Directive permanent law, and this ensures that we can keep building fast, so that current and future Angelenos can afford to live in the neighborhoods where they were raised. Thank you, City Council. 


Because a city that prices out, its next generation is a city that stops believing in its own future.

We must, and we will, remain a place where working people can live, build, and thrive without being crushed by the cost of simply calling this place home. That's why we've expanded tenant rights and capped rent increases.
Another thank you to the leadership of the City Council, because you did that, and I had the honor of signing it.

And today, I am thrilled to share that we will provide $14 million in rental assistance for seniors and people with disabilities. I will do everything in my power to make living and thriving in Los Angeles an achievable dream for anyone and everyone in this city.

And that's especially important from the young people that stand behind me, who are going to college and doing everything you're supposed to do, and it's the job of all of us to make sure that you should choose to live here, you can actually afford to buy a home in Los Angeles.

That's our commitment to you.

You know, the most extreme example of our affordability is homelessness itself, with over 44,000 unhoused Angelenos and almost half of them sleeping on our streets every night. This is the consequence of decades of rigid thinking that never built a system capable of meeting the scale of the need.

But since I became Mayor, we began moving with urgency. We broke down silos, challenged policies that kept people trapped on our streets, and we began building a system with one clear goal, and that's ending homelessness and especially street homelessness.

And we have to prevent homelessness before it occurs. This means moving people quickly into interim housing so they are off our streets. This means tackling the health, social, and economic barriers that too often pull people back onto the streets - so that when Angelenos move into permanent housing, they actually stay housed.

Working with City Council through Inside Safe, we have resolved nearly 120 encampments and moved thousands of Angelenos into permanent housing. We have a 85 percent retention rate in permanent housing.

But that's not enough. We must provide more cost-effective homelessness solutions and improve the retention rate in interim housing by developing stronger and more comprehensive services. But we must also continue accelerating the construction of permanent, affordable housing. And one group we must never forget and that's our veterans. We must house all veterans in LA.

Too many of our veterans - men and women who wore the uniform, our country's uniform and put their lives on the line - have been forced to sleep on our streets. That has to end and that has to end now. And here's a surprise for you, because we actually have the resources to do so.

For years, veterans were forced because of a federal policy to make an impossible choice - keep their health benefits or accept a housing voucher.

As I mentioned in last year's State of the City address, I mobilized 50 mayors from across the country. Together we took our fight to Washington, D.C., to the House, to the Senate, and to the White House. And after a year of sustained pressure, we won. Veterans no longer have to make that choice, between whether they receive health benefits or whether they have housing.

Since last year, we've issued 600 housing vouchers for our veterans, and they are housed now.

Now, our mission is clear and non-negotiable: there will be no unused vouchers in the City of Los Angeles. Our campaign to end veteran homelessness was interrupted by last year's wildfires, but tomorrow, we are relaunching House Our Vets - with renewed urgency and a renewed sense of purpose.

We will deploy every tool in the Mayor's Office. We will work hand in hand with Veteran organizations like U.S. Vets, and we will call on individual landlords across our city to step up - accept a voucher, house a veteran, and make a patriotic contribution to our city and to our country.

Because no one who served this nation should ever be left behind.

Now, just as everyone deserves the dignity of shelter, everyone deserves the dignity of work. This city has always been an engine of opportunity. And under my administration, we are making sure that engine delivers for working people - and not just the well connected and the lucky few.

And in Los Angeles, I can now say, we are reinvigorating our capacity to do this.

Look no further than the revitalization of Downtown LA, we're working on it now. Businesses are relocating and expanding their headquarters here. And last year, the City Council, labor movement and community members came together to pass much-needed legislation to expand the Los Angeles Convention Center.

And as a result, marquee conventions are booking as we speak. And today, I'm proud to announce that two major conventions, national organizations - The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and the American Geophysical Union - have chosen Los Angeles. Now, don't laugh, that's over, like, 30,000 people coming to our city. That's a lot of money.
Hotel rooms.

And I know that many national organizations will soon be in line to book their conventions here. Because I'm tired of those conventions going to other cities. They need to be right here in Los Angeles. 


Those jobs, the hotel nights, full restaurants, and activities on our streets, because that's part of feeling safe, getting people out there.

Miss Yvonne Wheeler, the head of our labor movement.

And after many years, our signature entertainment industry is finally coming home.

Working hand in hand with the industry, I signed an Executive Directive to make filming easier, faster, and more affordable in Los Angeles. We dedicated City staff to guide productions through the permitting process and keep cameras rolling. Councilman Nazarian, one of your key issues.

One example, in Councilmember Jurado's district, is East End Studios - where it took just 18 months to go from groundbreaking to ribbon-cutting, creating thousands of construction jobs and hundreds of permanent, good-paying union jobs.

Together, these investments send a clear message: Los Angeles is open for production - and we are building our future together, right here.

Now all of this is great, to ensure our City is affordable and livable, we need a City that is safe for our residents, our businesses, and our visitors.

This has always been priority number one. And we've made real progress. Homicides dropped by 19 percent last year - the lowest in nearly 60 years. And retail theft is down. But public safety is not just about crime going down.

It's about how you feel. It's about how safe you feel. Whether your child feels safe walking to school. Whether the lights work on your street - and yes, we are getting those solar street lights installed. Whether you know your home will be untouched when you return from a long day's work.

So I hear you - from the Valley, the Mid-City to South L.A., Los Angeles is a vast city with diverse needs, and there is no singular approach to safety. Some neighborhoods want to see a strong, visible LAPD presence. Others want to see a stronger presence of community based organizations and programs. Well we have to deliver both.

And I'm proud of our Office of Community Safety. They deploy trained, unarmed professionals to deter crime. They provide safe activities to prevent community violence, and they have saved countless lives. And I'm also proud of the program that responds to individuals with mental health and substance abuse crises.

Together, we're investing in community-based safety where it works best - and making sure that LAPD has the staffing to respond quickly, show up when communities ask for help, and do the work that Angelenos count on every day.

All of this work - making safety real, visible, and felt - is exactly what will prepare us to welcome the world.

In LA we lead in moments like this - with urgency, clarity, and moral conviction - that's how the world will come to know us.

As we prepare for the U.S. Women's Open, the FIFA World Cup, and soon after, the greatest Olympic and Paralympic Games in history - we will continue to focus on the fundamentals. The things that shape how a city feels to the people who live here and the millions who will visit.

So here is our path forward.

We will continue to resolve encampments and house Angelenos through Inside Safe and other programs.

We will intensify our focus on housing veterans and making housing affordable.

We will accelerate beautification efforts along major city corridors from our new Clean Corridors Initiative - especially near where World Cup watch parties will take place - and in that, we will crack down on any illegal dumping, those who cut corners, avoid disposal fees, and leave a mess for workers and neighbors to deal with. There are consequences.

And we will continue installing solar lights in neighborhoods across the city.

And this Summer, the U.S. Women's Open and the FIFA World Cup will touch every corner of our city, welcoming hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the globe. And when the U.S. Women's Open arrives, we will launch Golf for Girls. Clinics, golf clinics, and all over our city. We will offer golf clinics for girls in all of our public golf courses across our city, from Van Nuys to Wilmington.

And tonight, the Angel City Football Club is investing $3 Million for a 3-year initiative with the City of LA, serving more than 43,000 girls. Every child deserves the chance to step onto the field, find her confidence, and claim her place.

Then, in 2028, we welcome the world on an even grander scale - as we host the Olympics for the third time and the Paralympics for the first time in history.

That is an extraordinary opportunity. And it is a serious responsibility.

When the world looks at LA, they won't just see venues. They will see our values, the diversity of our people, and all that our neighborhoods offer, including our restaurants and food trucks, our stores, and our cultural richness.

And we will be ready because of the people who show up, day after day, and take care of this city.

Two people who embody that spirit are here with us today! Carlos Cabrera, from South Central Clean-Up and Juan Naula, from Clean LA With Me - please stand up. Come on, stand up. Stand up.


Now, I don't know if you've seen them on social media. But let me just tell you, they are doing an incredible service in our city and we not only applaud you, we want to support you, but we also want to join you.

So, you know, we've been doing Shine L.A. every month since last April, and as a matter of fact, we're doing Shine L.A. this coming Saturday, and I'll talk about that in a second. But we want to join you and ask you two to take the lead, and we'll all join what you're doing, because to me, you exemplify civic involvement, and we would love to see thousands of Carlos' and Juans who will take responsibility in the city and help us beautify this city.

So this Saturday, Shine L.A. will focus its efforts at Hansen Dam Recreation Center, which will also serve as an official L.A. World Cup Fan Zone. We'll be joined by Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl, and his wife Jordyn. Do you mind standing so we can applaud you? We will take your lead.


So, I have joined you before at Shine L.A. at Hope the Mission, and you're out there all the time, never seeking attention - didn't want me to introduce him, but I couldn't resist it. Because we want to applaud you, and we want others to follow what you are doing.

So Los Angeles, let's get our city ready. Let's strengthen not just our neighborhoods. Let's make them shine for the world, and starting this Saturday.

Now, I want to know how many people here are gonna join us this Saturday in Hansen Dam? How many people are gonna join us? 


Are you guys gonna join us? Okay. They're gonna be studying. You guys got finals? Oh, okay. I see a few heads nodding over here.


My friends, this year will ask a lot of us, but it will also bring moments of extraordinary promise. Moments when the eyes of the world turn here once again.

I have always believed that Los Angeles can move faster than bureaucracy, care deeper than politics, and think bigger than the limits we've been told to accept, and I believe that more fiercely now than ever.

In LA, I know we will be ready to welcome the world for global sporting events, historic celebrations, and defining moments that will unfold on our streets, in our neighborhoods, and across the city, and we will be ready. I know that we will.

But here's the thing. I also know we will be ready to resist and confront whatever comes our way. Whether it is a reckless federal government who tries to say that this city is falling apart, and needs the help, that it needs to be rescued. Those who say that our values are negotiable. Anyone who tries to disparage our city, or anyone who underestimates the strength, the unity, and the courage of this city? We're not gonna stand for it. 


This city has always been one of a kind. One school district, Superintendent Carvalho, in which 125 languages are spoken. What might be considered chaos elsewhere becomes harmony here. A place built from Olvera Street to downtown skyscrapers, by people who came from everywhere, and decided to build something together. 


A place that has always welcomed the world. I have never believed in us more.

So Los Angeles, Angelenos, let's get to work.
Let's keep building, let's keep lifting people up as the world comes here once again.

Let's show the nation and the world, the nation and the world, we are the greatest city on Earth.

Thank you. Thank you, thank you
Los Angeles.

Individuals Recognized by Mayor Bass During her State of the City Address:

Dave and Jordyn Grohl

Dave Grohl is an American musician most known as a founding member of the Foo Fighters. Grohl is married to Jordyn Grohl who has previously worked as a model and producer in the entertainment industry. Dave and Jordyn are longtime philanthropists throughout the Los Angeles area, supporting the work of homelessness organizations like Hope the Mission.

David Huerta

David Huerta is the President of the Service Employees International Union of California, elected in 2022. Representing more than 75,000 union employees across California, Huerta has been on the front lines fighting for union workers and immigrants. In June 2025, Huerta was hospitalized after sustaining injuries during his wrongful detention by federal immigration enforcement agents. He was eventually released and continues to speak out against the continued unlawful, unconstitutional and dangerous immigration enforcement actions in Los Angeles .

Carlos Cabrera

Carlos Cabrera is a son of South Los Angeles, known online as South Central Cleanup. Originally starting by himself, Cabrera has developed a dedicated community of Angelenos who independently organize cleanups across South LA. Through his efforts, Cabrera represents the localized, grassroots efforts that power Los Angeles and help transform communities.

Juan Naula

Juan Naula is the founder of the nonprofit Clean LA With Me which has become a viral social media phenomenon, garnering Naula more than 50,000 followers online. Moving to Los Angeles from Virginia, Naula has dedicated himself to bettering his adopted hometown, helping address blight and litter in neighborhoods across the LA region.