A hearing is scheduled for Thursday to discuss the proposed settlement of a lawsuit regarding the alleged lack of services for the thousands of homeless people on the streets of Los Angeles.
In the proposed settlement, Los Angeles County has agreed to add 3,000 beds for mental health and substance abuse treatment by the end of 2026. A previous attempt at settlement only provided for 1,000 additional beds.
Earlier efforts to settle the case were rejected by U.S. District Judge David Carter, who denied a joint stipulation to dismiss the case filed in 2020 by plaintiffs, the L.A. Alliance for Human Rights. Judge Carter stated that he wanted more services and stronger oversight and enforcement powers.
According to the proposal filed on Monday in federal court, Judge Carter’s requirements are met in the new settlement. Los Angeles County has pledged to fund 3,000 new beds, provide funding for 450 new subsidies for board and care homes, and appoint a retired judge to monitor compliance with the settlement.
Mira Hashmall, outside counsel for L.A. County in the case, stated, “The previous settlement the parties presented to the Court already provides a thousand new beds and enhanced services for people experiencing homelessness with substance use disorder or mental illness. We hope the new settlement… will end this three-year-old case and allow us to focus our funding and efforts on alleviating the homelessness crisis.”
The latest settlement proposal comes after a federal appeals court rejected the county’s attempt to force Judge Carter to approve the previous proposal.
In their March 2020 lawsuit, the L.A. Alliance for Human Rights claimed that the city and county’s inaction has created a dangerous environment in the Skid Row area and beyond.
Last June, the plaintiffs reached a settlement with the city that was approved by Judge Carter. However, in April, Judge Carter rejected the county’s settlement offer for the second time in five months. The county then attempted to pause the proceedings while preparing to appeal Judge Carter’s denial to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, but that effort was also rejected.
In May, the county petitioned the 9th Circuit for a stay in the proceedings and an order to compel Judge Carter to withdraw his April order, enforce the settlement agreement, and dismiss the case. The county argued that Judge Carter’s rulings and conduct exceeded his authority and were unprecedented.
The appeals court denied the county’s argument, and a trial date has been set for November.
The new settlement proposal builds upon an agreement between Los Angeles city and county. Under this agreement, the city agreed to provide 6,700 housing or shelter beds for vulnerable people experiencing homelessness, particularly those living under freeway overpasses. The county agreed to assist with funding services in the amount of $293 million.
If Judge Carter approves the settlement, he will dismiss the lawsuit.
According to a count conducted in January, there were 75,518 people experiencing homelessness in the county and 46,260 in the city of Los Angeles. These figures represent an increase from 69,144 in the county and 41,980 in the city in the previous year.
In February, following the declaration of a local emergency on homelessness, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a $609.7 million budget for the Los Angeles County Homeless Initiative for the fiscal year 2023-24. This is the largest investment to date in preventing and addressing homelessness.
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass recently highlighted that unhoused seniors are one of the fastest-growing populations of homeless residents in the city.
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