LOS ANGELES — Nearly two weeks ago at its annual Mayoral Housing, Transportation and Jobs Summit, the Los Angeles Business Council called on the City of Los Angeles to pursue a more ambitious goal for Project RoomKey in light of the Biden Administration’s decision to reimburse 100% of the costs of hotel and motel rooms to house the homeless through September 2021. Today, as more than 41,000 Angelenos are suffering on the streets of our city, the LABC released the following statement:
“We thank Council President Nury Martinez and Councilmember Paul Krekorian for demonstrating the leadership that is needed to bring people indoors and provide the relief they so desperately need. The motion before the City Council tomorrow on Project Roomkey sets an important goal of 10,000 rooms for a period of six-months to get thousands of unsheltered Angelenos off the streets. We support the motion’s call for the City to formally request that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provide $150 million upfront to ensure we can move quickly and aggressively while COVID-19 rages on.
Setting an ambitious goal is critically important. It lets the people of Los Angeles know that our government is doing everything in its power to meet the magnitude of the moment and save lives. It also assures hotel and motel owners who voluntarily opt-in to the Project Roomkey program that the funding is there to support them.
We encourage the City Council and Mayor Garcetti to support this motion and do everything in their power to act with speed to take advantage of this opportunity from the federal government so we can quickly and safely bring homeless Angelenos indoors.”
