‘Manna from heaven’: L.A. officials say Biden funding could get thousands of homeless off streets
President Biden signed an executive order that changed federal funding rules in a way that could potentially lift thousands of homeless Angelenos off the streets amidst the still raging the coronavirus.
“This is a huge opportunity. This is like manna from heaven,” said Councilman Mike Bonin, who on Tuesday introduced a motion asking the city to explore options for renting more hotel rooms.
Bonin and others’ excitement stems from how FEMA reimburses cities and counties for renting rooms. Under former President Trump, Los Angeles paid for each room and then expected to receive 75% of that money back. Last week, Biden signed an executive order saying that FEMA should reimburse municipalities 100% of what they spend to house people in non-congregate shelters until the end of September.
“This is an amazing opportunity to really bring folks inside in a safe place throughout the pandemic,” said Jennifer Hark Dietz, deputy chief executive and executive director of People Assisting the Homeless, which ran several of the hotels for the county.