Mayor Bass Releases Her First Proposed City Budget
This past Tuesday the Mayor presented her proposed budget plan for 2023-24. The proposed budget includes nearly $1.3 billion investment to build housing and confront the homelessness crisis. The budget also includes bold initiatives to improve public safety. If you missed it, you can watch the press conference here.
You can view the budget summary here. I have also attached the City Council schedule for the Budget, Finance, and Innovation Committee’s consideration of the Mayor’s proposed budget.
For your convenience here is a list of the budget highlights:
HOMELESSNESS
Nearly $1.3 billion for homelessness and housing, an unprecedented investment
$250 million for Inside Safe:
$110 million for motel rooms/temporary housing
$62 million for services (case management, moving people to permanent housing, food, support services)
$47 million for buying hotels and motels
$21 million for permanent housing – includes transition and set up of permanent housing, 12 months of rental assistance
$10 million for staff – including directors and property managers, administrative funding for services providers
Office of Housing & Homelessness Solutions – Budget Includes 13 outreach teams within the Mayor’s Administration
Substance Abuse/Mental Health Treatment Beds - $23.5 million from tobacco ($11.8M) and opioid ($11.7M) settlements
Street Medicine Teams - $4 million to fund four medical teams serving 5,600 people. Half of this funding is provided by a Homeless Housing Assistance and Prevention Grant
ULA
Allocates a responsible $150 million in ULA funds (The City would utilize up to $150 million in federal reimbursements allocated to the City to satisfy any repayment obligation if the litigation is successful)
$62 million for acquisition and rehabilitation of housing
$20 million for short term emergency assistance for tenants
$25 million in income support for rent burdened at risk seniors/people with disabilities
$25 million for eviction defense
$6 million for tenant outreach
$12 for tenant protection from harassment
SAFETY
LAPD
Nets to 9,504 LAPD Officers
Budget funds hiring 780 new officers and activation of 200 recently retired officers
$1 million for focused public safety recruitment
$15,000 recruitment bonus for new officers (and lateral hires)
Up to $2,000 referral bonus for City employees, with $1,000 payable upon hiring, and an additional $1,000 payable at academy graduation
LAFD
$21 million in funding provided for five Drill Tower classes of 60 recruits, for a net increase of 100 above the projected attrition level
Emergency Appointment Paramedic Program
Mayor’s Office of Community Safety
GRYD: increases funding from $28 million to $41 million
Summer Night Lights: funding to continue at 43 sites
CIRCLE Teams: continued funding for 7 existing teams
DART (Domestic Abuse Response Teams): increases funding of approximately $1 million (to $3.7 million), which nearly doubles the number of DART advocates at LAPD divisions with the highest call volumes.
COMMUNITY INVESTMENTS TO ADDRESS POVERTY AND INCOME INEQUALITY
$5 million to continue refurbishment of childcare centers so they can reopen
Increases funding for senior meals from approximately $9 million to $18 million.
Increased one-time contractual services funding of $6.35 million for the Community Investment for Families Department to fund supportive services for the 16 Family Source Centers, including $200,000 for each center to provide short-term emergency housing assistance.
$4.6 million to continue the Solid Ground Homeless Prevention Program
SUSTAINABILITY
Add 2,400 trees to the watering plan for total of 7,200 trees
$1 million to add a crew to remove 2,700 dead trees or stumps (increase of 900 from previous year)
$2 million to support trimming of 5,000 more trees
INFRASTRUCTURE
In addition to required $36 million for sidewalk repair, this budget adds $28 million for additional repairs and doubles funding for access ramps to $20 million.
$8 million for bus shelters in underserved communities
ZOO
Annual capital repair program increased to $2.5 million
Additional $4.1 million provided as part of a multi-year investment to initiate design and pre-development activities to upgrade exhibits
ANIMAL SERVICES
Adds funding for 14 new Animal Care Technicians
Provides funding for seven positions to coordinate volunteer services
Funds animal enrichment contract to socialize dogs and improve their health
RESPONSIBILITY/RESERVES
$201.8 million for Budget Stabilization Fund
$561.6 million for the Reserve Fund (7.14%)
$30 million Reserve for Mid-Year adjustments
Overall Cumulative Reserves slightly above 10%