Board of Supervisors Chair Janice Hahn, who introduced the motion along with Supervisor Kathryn Barger, said the county will be “the city’s partner.”
The motion calls for the appointment of county department liaisons to work with Los Angeles outreach teams and help connect the homeless with county services such as mental health and substance abuse counseling, while also working directly with interim-housing providers to ensure people in such facilities are connected to county services. Under the motion, the county also agreed to similarly work arm-in-arm with other cities in the county that may declare emergencies on homelessness.
Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris and the Lancaster City Council last week declared a state of emergency against what they called “Bass’ plan for a mass movement of homeless individuals to the Antelope Valley,” according to a city news release. The Lancaster city officials apparently took issue with Bass’ comments in an LA Times article, in which she said, “There’s a big chunk of land in Palmdale and maybe we could create a village out there.”
Bass’ office told ABC7 that those words were taken out of context, and the Lancaster declaration “sounds a little bit like a stunt.”
“Nobody has said anything about moving anybody to Lancaster,” Bass told ABC7.
Appearing at the county Hall of Administration to address the board on Tuesday, Dec. 20, Bass hailed county supervisors for their actions.
“Each one of you have done significant work in your districts regarding the unhoused, and to have a partnership where we have locked arms between the city and the county, I think it sends a great message not just here but in other cities as well,” Bass said.
Supervisor Kathryn Barger also chimed in with words of cooperation.
“We’re all in this together,” Barger said. “None of us are going to solve it alone. I really thank you, Mayor Bass, for using your voice to bring together all 88 cities. And as you said when you were sworn in, it is about working together. Homelessness doesn’t know boundaries. It’s happening throughout our county.”
Previous related story: Lancaster declares state of emergency against “plan for a mass movement of homeless individuals to the Antelope Valley”
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AV County says
The Antelope Valley needs to create it’s own county, we need to break off from LA County we never benefit from any programs that are handed out only to LA City residents even though the LA County Tax money is used to finance those programs. Now they remember us when they want to drop off their criminals and homeless people. It’s true they have the land to build within their city limits but all they do build is income providing entertainment properties and the homeless do not create income.
Tim Scott says
LOL…form our own county? Have you noticed how incompetent we are about electing city governments?
WeNeedAMayorWhoLivesHere says
It’s been nearly a week since Rex said Bass’s homeless invasion was on and tried to work everyone up into a frenzy that we were being overrun by homeless sent here from LA. Just like Rex’s claims of 67 people being sent here a day on Metrolink were lies, we will soon see that his state of emergency comes from his state of mind, and it’s not a good state at all.
ACE says
THOSE FANCY UNUSED HIGH RISE HOTELS NEAR THE PALMDALE MALL WOULD BE PERFECT TO HOUSE THE NEWLY ARRIVING LA HOMELESS…
FEED THEM WITH ROOM SERVICE…
WI-FI HOOKUPS…
CABLE TV…
HOT SHOWERS AND BATHS…
GOOD AREAS NEARBY FOR BEGGING…
CLOSE TO BEV MO…
LOTS OF BUS SERVICE…
WELCOME TO PALMDALE..!
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WILL PALMDALE BE GIVING THEM SPECIAL WELCOMING GIFT BAGS..?
WE’LL ALL SOON SEE…
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GIVE THEM SOME FREE PASSES TO THE GO KART PLACE…
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WE TO DO SOMETHING..!
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OUT OF SIGHT – OUT OF MIND…
AND OUT OF LA…
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Magnetlady says
I wouldn’t be surprised if the L.A. Board of Stupidvisors agrees to move L.A. City Homeless people OUT of Los Angeles. They will do anything to help move them to the Antelope Valley.. We have enough ”Pedofiles” moved here already that we’re the ”Dumping Ground” for all of L.A.’s problems. The Climate here can be ”brutal” in the Summer & Winter. Seems like Supervisor Barger is moving her positions to the left lately.
Uncommon Sense says
There’s a huge piece of land in the middle of LA called Griffith Park. It even has a nice building called the Observatory, that they can convert into suitable housing. Put them there. Let the city residents who voted for these policies bear the burden.
East Lancaster says
There is plenty of land and buildings in LA for their homeless housing. The problem has been lack of leadership and red tape. I’m not sure Bass will make a difference, but Rex’ claim of her leading an invasion of homeless to the AV is ridiculous. It’s another one of his long list of lies. Anyone who believes what he says does so at their own risk. Years ago, he said 67 homeless people a day were being sent to Lancaster from LA. That would add up to tens of thousands of homeless in Lancaster. Rex can’t be trusted on anything.
Uncommon Sense says
I could care less what Rex says. He doesn’t control LA City Policy.
Meanwhile, Bass, who is LA CITY MAYOR, is on record verbalizing what she thinks is a possible solution to HER city’s homeless problem.
Her own words:
“ There’s a big chunk of land in Palmdale and maybe we could create a village out there.”
If you think that statement does not sound like she is looking to move the homeless out of LA and into a jurisdiction OUTISDE of her authority, then you have a problem seeing past the issue.
What kind of “village” does she envision? She didn’t say “housing development,” or “community shelter.” She said VILLAGE. Villages are small dispersed and isolated communities. Who will fund the services to this community? Who will pay for the infrastructure? Who will provide emergency services? Whose physical resources will be used. I know who won’t!: LA CITY.
Palmdale is its own city, with its own economy and budget. How on earth does she think it’s ok to burden the citizens of an independently governed city with her problem?
Please think about that.
Tim Scott says
While you are “thinking about that” how about thinking about this…
It was a throwaway line in a press interview where she was asked if LA really had the resources to do anything like she wants to get done, ie house the homeless. The point being made was that LA has resources no one ever thinks about, to the point that people don’t even know what LA does have. I mean, how many people actually knew that among other things LA owns 20 square miles out in Palmdale?
When asked about the way that the nutbars in the Antelope Valley have turned that throwaway line into a “threat to invade” the mayor’s office response was “well that sounds like a stunt.” When told that the possible stunt originated from the mayor’s office in Lancaster the response was “Rex Parris? Yeah that’s for sure a stunt,” and a belly laugh.
Tammy says
I am no fan of Bass by any means. She did say maybe and she was running for election. Politicans says all sorts of garbage to get elected. Rex and those clowns talk about jobs and lower crime all the time. Rex used it to blame the homeless problem in Lancaster on LA. To be fair to Rex, it isn’t Lancaster’s responsibility for homelessness. It is first the job of the county. They have the funding. But to say there is an invasion from LA sent by her is ridiculous.
Tim Scott says
Tammy, Bass was just making the point that the city of LA has resources that no one ever thinks about when they are trying to solve this problem, or any other problem for that matter. Looking at the realities of the “land out in Palmdale” the city of LA has exactly zero use for it. They bought it as part of a plan that no longer exists and have for the most part just forgotten about it. Could they “build a village” on it? Sure, it’s the size of Torrance, population 150K so it could hold a village. Could they finally come to terms and sell it to Palmdale? Sure, and that would be great.
The question that has been brought to the front here is: what SHOULD be done with this twenty square miles of desert that the city of LA has owned for decades that nothing is being done with?
Sally Field says
The unions support some kind of project that can hire the building trades. They helped get Bass elected and are 0n board to show a early success for her. Who is holding our local union leadership accountable.
Jason ZINK says
AV has a higher Homeless Count then LA’s Skid Row(look it up). AV per-capita has the highest homeless count in LA County, Southern California and perhaps the State and Country(look it up). It’s time AV has its own HUD CoC District seperatate from LA County, to have direct connection to HUD D.C. to help our AV people, just like Long Beach, Pasedena, Glendale does with HUD. It’s Common Sense, why do AV Leadership continue to allow LA to control AV and rip us off of our tax dollars that should come directly to AV. AV Leadership has No Local Strategy, they continue to fail AV! AV Congressman Garcia are you listening?
ACE says
SOMEONE SHOULD CALL THE FASHION POLICE ON THEM FOR DRESSING AS A BUNCH OF OVER WEIGHT FRUMPS…
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THEIR PRESS PHOTO ABOVE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS…
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Mary Meadows says
Were all in this together proclaims Supervisor Barger is code for don’t expect much Mr. Mayor your already taking all the oxygen in the A.V. Save some for the other communities I need to represent. Rex operates very Trump like and needs veto quit being the headline hog.
Aubray McPherson says
It’s quite clear that the only “State of Emergency” Lancaster has is an ill-informed City Council & Mayor making radical and unproven claims of “homeless invasions” in an effort to manipulate and deceive the residents of the Antelope Valley so they will continue to “vote” for these “Power Crazed” Leaders.
Don’t be fooled, by the stunts. THERE IS NO HOMELESS INVASION coming to Lancaster, but there IS A RISK of a HOMELESS CRISIS due to inflation
There’s a difference, so make sure YOU REGISTER TO VOTE to get these failed leaders out of office!
Tim Scott says
Well said.
Homeless local says
*sighhh* Mann.. I sure hope this does the trick.. it’s gnarly out here this winter.. I feel like I’m getting frosbite every night…
Homeless R People 2 says
We used to have a homeless shelter in Lancaster but after getting a million dollars from the county, Rex shut it down. Then he nixed a 700 bed shelter off of I for a 140 bed pay-t0-stay facility built by his pal on a no bid contract.
Tim Scott says
Bass’ office told ABC7 that those words were taken out of context, and the Lancaster declaration “sounds a little bit like a stunt.”
Then they were reminded who the mayor of Lancaster is and said, “Yeah, that’s definitely a stunt.”
Truth says
Of course it’s a stunt. Unfortunately many people in Lancaster are too dim to see him for who he really is, a fraud, greedy, deceptive and disgusting person.
ACE says
HERE COME THE HOMELESS..!
GOOD OLD KATHRYN BARGER..!
JUST LIKE THE OTHER SILLY WOMEN ON THE BOARD…
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LOL…
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