Amid $476M Deficit, Los Angeles Cuts Homeless-In-Hotels Program, Boosts Police

With the City of Los Angeles facing a $476 million deficit due to overspending and lower than anticipated tax revenues, Mayor Karen Bass has proposed increasing police spending while cutting millions from her signature “Inside Safe” homelessness programs. According to an earlier analysis of Inside Safe by The Center Square, the program costs approximately $17,000 per homeless individual each month. Los Angeles City Controller Kenneth Meija recently announced he is auditing Inside Safe to see if it functions and whether money is being spent as promised. Bass’s budget includes $65 million in cuts for Inside Safe, which received $250 million last year, and increasing police spending from $1.9 billion for 2023-2024 to $2 billion for 2024-2025.