Mayor Karen Bass and a delegation of six City Council members are taking action to address a potential loss of over $100 million in Veteran Affairs benefits for Los Angeles. This comes as the group advocates for more resources for the city during their meetings in Washington.
During a meeting with Secretary Denis McDonough of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, it was revealed that Congress wants to cut funding to balance the federal budget. However, Bass stated that a legislative solution could prevent this loss. She also expressed a desire to secure unused housing vouchers that other cities don’t need to assist individuals in Los Angeles.
“…I’ll tell you why. There isn’t any city around that is dealing with the numbers (of homelessness) that we’re dealing with,” added Bass.
The city delegation, including Council President Paul Krekorian and council members Bob Blumenfield, Eunisses Hernandez, Heather Hutt, Traci Park, and Hugo Soto-Martinez, is meeting with White House officials and California’s congressional delegation to discuss these issues.
Krekorian stated that it has been a busy day for the delegation, with detailed conversations with McDonough and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge.
Los Angeles has a significant population of veterans who are experiencing homelessness. The discussions with McDonough centered around finding effective ways to provide job opportunities, housing, and other services for veterans.
“With regard to HUD, we had discussions about hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding related to housing the unhoused and providing greater affordability,” said Krekorian.
He further emphasized that McDonough and Fudge are knowledgeable about the issues facing the city and had valuable insights to share.
“We learned about opportunities for funding and policy changes that we can utilize in Los Angeles,” Krekorian added.
Krekorian emphasized the importance of the delegation’s presence in advocating for Los Angeles, as other cities will be represented if they are not. He stated, “nature abhors a vacuum, and so does Washington.”
Soto-Martinez commended Bass’ connections in Washington, highlighting that she is already well-known among officials. He expressed confidence that the council members will establish direct lines of communication with HUD.
Regarding the meeting with McDonough, Hutt described it as “very positive.” The discussion focused on housing vouchers and other available programs for veterans.
Hutt expressed her intention to bring these resources back to her district to support vulnerable veterans in Los Angeles. She also appreciated the opportunity to meet with Gregory Jackson and Robert Wilcox from the Office of Gun Violence to discuss their investments in prevention efforts.
The delegation is also meeting with representatives and senators from California to address their concerns. Krekorian mentioned their meeting with Senator Alex Padilla, emphasizing his advocacy for the city and its issues.
The meetings will continue until Wednesday, and some council members will return to Los Angeles that night while others will leave the following morning. The trip expenses are covered by the respective offices of the mayor and council members.
As a result of the trip, the City Council has canceled its meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday. Regular meetings will resume on Friday.
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
