Karen Bass Says 2023 Pledge to End Street Homelessness Falls Short

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass acknowledged this week that she has not met her 2023 pledge to end street homelessness in the city by 2026, citing unexpected bureaucratic barriers as she seeks a second term. The admission came during an interview that aired Wednesday, where she was pressed on the gap between her stated goal and the current reality.

In the interview, Bass stated that when she made the promise at the beginning of her term, she did not anticipate the bureaucratic challenges within the system. She argued that her administration has still made progress, noting that for the first time, street homelessness has decreased for two consecutive years, with a reported reduction of approximately 17.6 percent. Bass attributed past city and county policy to accepting street homelessness while focusing on building housing, a approach she called a failure.

The mayor’s primary opponents, City Councilmember Nithya Raman and former reality television personality Spencer Pratt, have gained traction in recent polls by criticizing her record. Pratt, who lost his home in a wildfire, has centered his campaign on dissatisfaction with city leadership on issues like homelessness and crime. He...