The city of Los Angeles will begin to move homeless people into hotels this week under a newly launched program, said the city's new mayor Sunday.
Called "Inside Safe," the new program for the homeless will kick off today.
Karen Bass told NBC news that the program aims to significantly reduce the number of homeless living outside in certain areas of Los Angeles.
The Democratic mayor stressed that there are around 40,000 homeless people in the city, which boasts a population of some 4 million, and that the new program aims to resettle 17,000 homeless temporarily or permanently for the first year.
The program will not force homeless people to move into hotels, or punish them for not moving, she said.
Advocates for the homeless also welcomed the move to resettle the unhoused from encampments into hotels, but stated that the move should not be done by force.
California Governor Gevin Nemson first launched the idea of placing homeless into hotel rooms in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. He encouraged city administrations and regional governments in the state to use suitable hotels and turn the buildings into shelters for the homeless.
