Mayor Karen Bass addressed the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce during a luncheon discussion with chamber president Steve Nissen. (photo by Edwin Folven)

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass discussed her plans for addressing homelessness, increasing public safety and improving economic vibrancy during her first mayoral address to members of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce on June 6.

Hundreds of business leaders came together at a luncheon and speech at the Taglyan Complex on Vine Street. Hollywood Chamber of Commerce president Steve Nissen took the stage with Bass, who said it was the first of many discussions she plans to have with the Hollywood community during her tenure as mayor.

Bass said the No. 1 issue affecting the city is homelessness, and she said addressing it has been a primary focus since she took office last December. The luncheon was held on the same day the city cleared an encampment on El Centro Avenue near Hollywood Boulevard, and Bass acknowledged that encampments and homelessness are a major concern throughout the Hollywood area.

She said the city is using the Inside Safe program as the primary method for clearing encampments, which only occurs after temporary shelter is found for people while permanent housing is identified. The program has been successfully used to move people into housing who were living along Sixth Street behind the Academy Museum, and recently on San Vicente Boulevard north of Wilshire Boulevard. Bass said Inside Safe will continue to be a component of the larger effort to address homelessness through creating housing, offering services and partnering with the county and other cities. She is also seeking more federal and state funding to reduce homelessness. 

“I think with the whole issue that we are dealing with around public safety and homelessness, we have to agree that all of us have a role to play because the expectation that the mayor, the supervisors and the 15 members of City Council can solve this without support from the private sector is just not reality,” Bass said. “One of the things I wanted to accomplish when I came in was the alignment of the different levels of government, and that happened actually right away. We rely on different levels of government and … the private sector, so representing the private sector, your help is desperately needed.” 

Bass also addressed public safety and said the goal is to increase the ranks of the Los Angeles Police Department to 9,500 officers, a statement that received a loud applause from the crowd.  

“We have just barely over 9,000 [officers] and given retirements, we’re going to dip below 9,000 officers. That will be the first time in two decades that we have fewer than 9,000 officers,” Bass said. “So we’re doing an aggressive recruitment strategy. We’re also trying to encourage those who are retiring to not retire and to extend their time, and getting those who have retired to come back, because I am very concerned about us dipping below 9,000.” 

Bass said she recently met with personnel at the Hollywood Division and is working with them to devote more Inside Safe resources to address homelessness. She cited the Inside Safe operation on El Centro Avenue and said similar operations will occur soon in other parts of Hollywood. 

With economic development, Bass said she is focused on eliminating “red tape” in City Hall to make it easier for projects to move forward. Incentives exist for developers to build affordable housing, such as increasing the number of market-rate units when affordable housing is included. Bass also said she is establishing business cabinets that will include experts on building a more successful climate for businesses in the city of Los Angeles. 

Nissen said he was pleased that the Hollywood business community had an opportunity to hear directly from the mayor, and he is encouraged by her message. 

“I’ve known the mayor for a long time. I know she deeply cares about people and the issues that are really important to Hollywood, from homelessness to our success. That is for real. That’s not politics with her, it’s personal,” Nissen said. “I’m just so pleased she was able to join us and share aspects about the city and about Hollywood with us.”