Los Angeles' new mayor declares state of emergency on homelessness

By Burak Dag

ANKARA (AA) - Los Angeles' newly inaugurated mayor on Monday officially declared a state of emergency on homelessness as her first action in the office.

Karen Bass, the first woman to hold the office in the second largest city of the US, was sworn into office on Sunday.

On her first day in the office, she declared a state of emergency on homelessness.

"I will not accept a homeless crisis that afflicts more than 40,000 Angelenos and affects every one of us. It is a humanitarian crisis that takes the life of five people every day," CBS Los Angeles reported Bass as saying during a news conference where she declared the state of emergency.

Bass aims to sign a series of executive orders to fight on homelessness in the coming days.

The declaration unlocks state and federal resources and cuts red tape, which will allow work to be done quickly, like taking whole encampments off the streets, placing those communities in rented hotels immediately, according to CBS Los Angeles.