The Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved Mayor Karen Bass’ state of emergency on homelessness Tuesday.

The order now gives Bass the authority to lift any regulations that may be stunting the progress of building housing units, as well as allowing the city to further purchase land and property for that purpose.

“This is a monumental day for the city of Los Angeles, and I commend and thank the City Council for their swift action and unanimous ratification of my emergency declaration,” Bass said Tuesday. “The people of our city have demanded that we urgently and immediately take every possible action to bring unhoused Angelenos indoors, and this declaration will enable us to move faster and unlock every tool possible. I look forward to continuing to lock arms with the City Council to advance a unified, citywide approach to our homelessness crisis. Together – we are moving Los Angeles in a new direction.”

The emergency declaration may last until June 12, 2023, barring early termination, with the city council required to vote on its extension at least every 10 regular council meetings hereafter.

The council took a 13-0 vote, including from Councilman Kevin de León, who cast his first vote on a measure since his participation in the leaked audio recordings that saw multiple racial and homophobic conversations. De León made his way into the council chamber mid-meeting, causing a disruption and recess, as he did on Friday. While de León did not remain in the chamber when the meeting resumed, he was allowed to cast his vote on the item, as well as other items.

During its annual homeless count for 2022, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) estimated that 69,144 people in Los Angeles County were experiencing homelessness, with 41,980 of them residing in the city itself. The number in the city represents an increase of 1.7% since 2020, with a count not being administered in 2021 due to the pandemic.

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