AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:
It's been just over four months since wildfires burned in Los Angeles. And while the initial cleanup operations have largely wrapped up, rebuilding has been slow. Yesterday we spoke to the city's mayor, Karen Bass, for an update, and she was in her car. Where else would the LA mayor be but out on the road? I began by asking Mayor Bass, when should residents expect to see significant progress toward rebuilding their neighborhoods?
KAREN BASS: Well, I will tell you, the first two phases of the recovery process have gone at the lightning speed, so we are months and months and months ahead of other cities who have experienced wildfires like this. So within that context, we already have people that have started the rebuilding process. So I would love to see it go faster, but that's basically the choice of the individual homeowner.
In terms of the debris removal, though, what you see in the Palisades now is over 1,700 lots that have been cleared. The Army Corps of Engineers believes they will complete the debris removal process by the end of July. So this is actually going very rapidly.
RASCOE: The EPA says they finished the first stage of the visible toxic cleanup operation. There are concerns that lasting toxins remain and worries about the safe storage of hazardous material that were removed. Do you have those concerns?
BASS: So let me explain what the concerns are. FEMA and the EPA are responsible for the first phase of hazardous waste removal. It was a decision to only clear about six inches of the land. Now, the question is, if there is toxics that are still there, how will a homeowner know? FEMA decided, and the EPA decided, not to do the testing that is normally done. Unfortunately, that will fall to the individual home owner to do. That is a decision that is made at the federal level. That is not a decision at the county or the city level.
RASCOE: On the other side of this, there's this push to build back fast, but you also have predictions that it's only a matter of time until fires come back. How are you addressing that?
BASS: So building fast is absolutely a top priority, but building better is equally a top priority. And so there's a lot that we understand now about wildfires in terms of how to build back resiliently, how to have a home that is built in a fire-resistant way. That is an individual decision of the homeowner as to how they build back.
RASCOE: On another topic, homelessness is a big concern for residents of Los Angeles. Do you believe that there should be a tougher stance on banning homeless encampments?
BASS: What I think we need to do when you see an encampment is we need to get the people housed. We need to identify why they were unhoused, address their issues and do what is needed so that they can reach self-sufficiency. In Los Angeles, where we have 46,000 people unhoused, we have, for the first time in years, had a decline in street homelessness using that strategy.
And so when you think about banning encampments and arresting people, you have to ask yourself, how long are you going to arrest them for? - for life? It makes no sense.
RASCOE: You acknowledge you've made progress. Do you feel like it's enough? I mean, there are plenty of people who...
BASS: No, of course not. Much more needs to be done. But what I am very certain about is arresting people for being homeless is not a solution. That might create a moment's satisfaction for a neighborhood because that person disappears. But I can't imagine anywhere where you're going to be incarcerated for more than a day or two. So what does that solve?
RASCOE: As you talk about the resources that it takes to help people who are unhoused, the city is looking at a nearly $1 billion budget shortfall, and it's also looking at some layoffs. So how do you plan to meet the needs of the city when you're facing that sort of financial crisis?
BASS: Well, let me just tell you that when I sign the budget, it will be a balanced budget. We will resolve the deficit, and we will continue to house people.
RASCOE: But how will you do it? How will you - I mean, the money has to come from somewhere.
BASS: Well, right, and the money comes from a variety of sources. We are dedicating part of our general fund. We have federal resources. We have state resources. We have county resources. It is a question of priorities.
RASCOE: Just to be clear on this - you feel like you will have enough money to deal with that crisis. Are there areas where...
BASS: No, no, no, no, no. No, I did not say that.
RASCOE: OK.
BASS: We won't have enough money, but we will be able to continue addressing the problem. And I also believe - now, we're still in the process, but I also believe that we will be able to pull a budget together that avoids the layoffs that were originally proposed. We have been working to identify other resources, other strategies, to prevent layoffs and to continue with the city's priorities. And addressing homelessness is one of our top priorities.
RASCOE: That is Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. Thank you so much for joining us.
BASS: Thank you.
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