Mayor Bass Lauds Metro Board Action to Maximize Use of Metro Property for Temporary and Permanent Housing

Mayor Karen Bass lauded yesterday’s unanimous Metro Board approval of a motion she co-introduced to maximize the use of Metro property for temporary and permanent housing. The action directly builds on Mayor Bass’ Executive Directive 3 to utilize every feasible parcel of land owned by the City for new developments that will help bring unhoused Angelenos inside.

“If we are going to save lives and house Angelenos with the urgency needed to address this crisis, we must leave no stone unturned when identifying new places to build temporary and permanent housing,” said Metro Board member and Mayor Karen Bass. “I want to applaud my fellow Metro Board members for locking arms and committing to work tirelessly to make sure that together, we are holding nothing back when it comes to the urgent work of housing Angelenos and providing them with the resources they need to stay indoors.”

The motion was co-introduced by Board members Bass, Metro Board Chair Ara Najarian, Supervisor Janice Hahn, Supervisor Holly Mitchell, Supervisor Hilda Solis, and Los Angeles City Council President Paul Krekorian.

“Metro has already set an aggressive goal to provide 10,000 units of transit-connected affordable housing units on Metro-owned land by 2031,” said Metro Board Chair Ara J. Najarian. “This directive is a natural progression of this ambitious agenda. Working closely with both the city and the county, Metro will do its part to help address the humanitarian crisis we are now facing with compassion and urgency.”

“If we are going to bring tens of thousands of people inside, we need to identify every possible place where we can build interim and permanent housing,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor and Metro Board member Janice Hahn. “If Metro has property that can be used for housing, we should use it. I commend Mayor Bass for acting with urgency to meet this humanitarian crisis both as Mayor and as a Metro Director.”

“Addressing the homelessness crisis requires sustained urgency and bold action,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor and Metro Board member, Holly J. Mitchell. “I’m proud to support Mayor Bass’ motion that calls for Metro to work creatively to meet the needs of our unhoused residents countywide. I look forward to working with Metro to consider how its properties can potentially serve our shared constituency as both short and long-term housing sites.”

“We are facing an unprecedented public health crisis where hundreds of thousands of people are unhoused or at the brink of becoming so," said Los Angeles County Supervisor and Metro Board member Hilda Solis. "Throughout my years as a Metro Board Director and LA County Supervisor, I have committed to leveraging County-owned assets to increase both interim and permanent housing options to provide our most vulnerable neighbors with much needed care and stability. I look forward to an ongoing collaboration with Mayor Bass and my colleagues on the Metro Board to rapidly stand up much-needed housing and services near transit and beyond.”

"The crisis of homelessness directly impacts Metro's core mission, and Metro must play a more active role in addressing it," said Los Angeles City Council President and Metro Board member Paul Krekorian. "Metro's ridership is disproportionately rent burdened. Transit-oriented community development gives us an opportunity to create more affordable housing. Yesterday’s motion is an important next step in creating housing that will benefit the entire County. I applaud Mayor Bass on the clarity and focus she brings to finding real solutions to homelessness and housing unaffordability."

Following the approval of the motion, Metro will update its inventory of land available for temporary or permanent housing, ensure its policies are consistent with Executive Directive 3, and take steps to increase housing production under its joint development program. Mayor Bass’ Executive Directive 3 requires that the Mayor be provided within 20 days an inventory of unused and underutilized city property that could be used for temporary or permanent housing with on-site services; that a formal assessment of each site follow; that based on the assessment, the Mayor’s Office designates what type of housing should be built on which locations; and that City departments prioritize temporary and permanent housing with on-site services and eliminate unnecessary reviews, paperwork and red tape.