Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass marked her second year in office by holding a press conference in a permanent housing complex for the homeless in Koreatown. During the event, Mayor Bass highlighted achievements in addressing homelessness and outlined plans for future efforts. These include removing administrative and systemic barriers, tackling mental and physical health issues, implementing eviction prevention programs, and exploring cost-effective and faster housing construction strategies to create meaningful change.

The press conference took place on the ground floor of a multi-unit permanent housing complex for the homeless, located at 9th Street and Gramercy in Koreatown. This building holds special significance as it is the first permanent housing project established under Mayor Bass’s "LA4LA" initiative for homeless and low-income housing, announced earlier this year (see report from July 24). Currently, the complex houses 60 formerly homeless individuals.

Mayor Bass noted that efforts to resolve the homelessness crisis have led to the first decrease in the homeless population in six years, as of early 2024. She particularly emphasized a 10% reduction in the number of people living on the streets rather than in facilities or vehicles—a double-digit decrease seen for the first time in nine years.