“Ensure that everyone from our children to those living on the streets can attain housing in our City.
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A homeless person costs taxpayers about $35,000 a year in excess police, medical, and mental health services. Even after accounting for government subsidies, a person living in supportive housing only costs $7,200. (Economic Roundtable).
LA grows by 20,000-30,000 people each year. That means we need to find housing for a quarter million new people in the next decade (US Census).
LA renters pay, on average 47% of their income for rent. That’s the highest burden of any municipality in the country. (UCLA)
I believe that a comprehensive approach to affordable housing will have benefits across the economic spectrum: low income workers sometimes fall behind and end up homeless on the streets, students and middle income workers struggle to meet rent, and higher income residents have trouble leaping into the housing market and fending off foreclosure. Starting with permanent supportive housing for the homeless will clean up our streets and save taxpayer money.