Amanpour and Company

>>> LOS ANGELES HAS THE LARGEST HOMELESS POPULATION IN THE COUNTRY OVER TAKING NEW YORK CITY. KAREN BASS RAN ON THIS ISSUE AND ONE MONTH INTO THE JOB HAS TAKEN SOME ACTION AND SHE JOINS MICHELLE MARTIN FROM THE U.S. CONFERENCE OF MAYORS TO DISCUSS PLANS TO TACKLE THIS CRISIS. THIS CONVERSATIONS IS PART OF THE ON GOING INITIATIVE ABOUT POVERTY, JOBS AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY IN AMERICA CALLED "CHASING THE DREAM." >> THANKS, SARAH. MAYOR KERRY BASS, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. >> THANKS FOR HAVING ME ON. >> I WANTED TO START WITH A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOU AND YOUR CAREER. FIRST OF ALL, YOU WERE SPEAKER OF THE STATE OF A SASSEMBLY OF CALIFORNIA AND ANYBODY THAT FOLLOWS STATE GOVERNMENT KNOWS THAT'S AN INCREDIBLY CONSEQUENTIAL POSITION. YOU'VE BEEN A MEMBER OF CONGRESS AND CHAIR OF A BLACK CAUCUS AND THE MAYOR OF LOS ANGELES. I WAS WONDERING LIKE WHY THIS POSITION AT THIS TIME? IT SEEMS OBVIOUSLY NOTHING IS ASSURED BUT SEEMS PRETTY CLEAR YOU WOULD HAVE EASILY WON ANOTHER TERM IN CONGRESS IF YOU WANTED IT. CURIOUS WHY THIS POSITION AT THIS TIME IN YOUR LIFE? >> I'VE NEVER BEEN MOTIVATED BY MY CAREER BUT ISSUES. I WAS HAPPY IN CONGRESS AND AS I SAW THE PROBLEM WITH THE UNHOUSED ESCALATION IN LOS ANGELES TO THE DEGREE I WAS WORRIED TO GO THROUGH ANOTHER PERIOD OF ESSENTIALLY CRIMINALIZING POVERTY THAT'S WHAT MADE ME DECIDE TO RUN. WE HAVE OVER 40,000 PEOPLE SLEEPING ON THE STREETS AND IN TENTS IN LOS ANGELES AND VOTERS WERE VERY, VERY FED UP. THEY TAXED THEMSELVES TWICE ONLY TO SEE THE PROBLEM DOUBLE AND THAT TO ME IS A RECIPE TO RETURN US TO THE 1990s WHEN WE HAD ANOTHER HEALTH, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CRISIS THAT WE CHOSE TO PUNISH AND CRIMINALIZE. I DIDN'T WANT TO SEE THAT HAPPEN AGAIN. THAT DROVE ME TO RUN. >> TELL ME MORE WHY YOU THINK WE'RE AT THIS POINT AND IT HAS TO BE SO THAT LOS ANGELES ISN'T THE ONLY CITY OR LOCAL FACING THIS PROBLEM. IT'S AN ISSUE IN SAN FRANCISCO AND A LOT OF MAJOR CITIES. PEOPLE ARE SEEING ENCAMPMENTS WHERE THEY NEVER SEEN THEM BEFORE OR THOUGHT THEY WOULD SEE THEM AGAIN. WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON WHY? >> I THINK IT'S THE ECONOMIC CONDITIONS. LOS ANGELES AND OTHER CITIES ARE BECOMING UNAFFORDABLE AND AS WE'VE GONE THROUGH ECONOMIC MING DOWNTURNS FOR EXAMPLE IN LOS ANGELES, THE AFRICAN AMERICAN POPULATION IS 9% BUT WE'RE OVER 30% OF THE PEOPLE LIVING IN TENTS. IF YOU LOOK AT HOMEOWNERSHIP THROUGH THE LAST RECESSION, AVENU AFRICAN AMERICANS SIGNIFICANTLY LOST HOMEOWNERSHIP AND PEOPLE FIND THEMSELVES ONE PAYCHECK AWAY FROM A TENT. THESE ARE SPECIFIC CONDITIONS NOW DRIVING THE SITUATION. THE OTHER THING THAT DRIVES IT IS THE FACT THAT OVER TIME WE HAVE DIE VESTED FROM THE SOCIAL SAFETY NET. WE CUT BACK ON DRUG TREATMENT TO THE EXTENT WE HAD MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT WE CUT BACK AND SURPRISE, SURPRISE THE ISSUES CONVERGED TO 40,000 PEOPLE ON OUR STREETS AND FOUR OR FIVE OF THEM THAT DON'T WAKE UP EACH DAY THAT DIE ON THE STREETS. >> WHY IS THAT? IS THAT FROM UNTREATED MEDICAL CONDITIONS OR EXPOSURE? >> A COUPLE THINGS. WE DON'T HAVE NUMBERS FROM 2022 YET. BUT IN 2021, 2,000 RESIDENTS DIED ON THE STREETS AND MANY OF THEM ARE HEALTH RELATED CONDITIONS. SOME OF THEM ARE VIOLENCE AND I MEAN OHHORRIFIC CRIMES COMMITTE AGAINST PEOPLE UNHOUSED AND WE KNOW SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND FENTANYL WAS A KEY FACTOR BUT ALL OF THOSE ISSUES ARE HEALTH, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC ISSUES AND I DON'T THINK PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE TO LIVE ON THE STREETS IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. >> ON THE FIRST DAY AFTER BEING SWORN IN, YOU DECLARE A STATEMENT OF EMERGENCY ON HOMELESSNESS. WHAT DOES THAT HELP YOU DO? >> I DIDN'T GO INTO CITY HALL RIGHT AWAY. I WENT STRAIGHT TO OUR EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER. THE CENTER THAT OPERATES WHEN THERE ARE NATURAL DISASTERS. THE STATE OF THE UNHOUSED IN LOS ANGELES IS A MAN-MADE DISASTER AND SO I THINK THE PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE FACED IN LOS ANGELES AND MANY OTHER CITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY IS THAT WE HAVE NOT ADDRESSED THIS AS THOUGH IT WAS AN EMERGENCY AND WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE A SENSE OF URGENCY, THEN YOU'RE ESSENTIALLY GOING TO GO ALONG WITH THE STATUS QUO. YOU'RE GOING TO ACCEPT THE BUREAUCRACY AND THEN THE PROBLEM KEEPS EXPLODING. SO WHAT THE DECOLORATION, OF EMERGENCY DID PUTTING LOS ANGELES IN A STATE OF EMERGENCY GIVERS ME ADDITIONAL POWERS BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE NEXT DAY I DID AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTIVE THAT ALLOWED FOR ME TO EXPEDITE BUILDING BECAUSE LOS ANGELES HAS BEEN A CITY WHERE BUILDING FURTHER IS RESISTED TALKING HOUSING OR COMMERCIAL OTHERWISE AND SO THERE IS SO MANY HOOPS FOR PEOPLE TO JUMP OVER SO MUCH RED TAPE. BY THE WAY, I DID THE PRESS CONFERENCE AT THE LOCATION WHERE A NON-PROFIT HOUSING DEVELOPER SPENT 14 YEARS TO BREAK GROUND ON A PROPERTY FOR PEOPLE THAT NEED AFFORDABLE HOUSING. >> THAT WOULD SUGGEST THERE IS A REGULATORY PROBLEM HERE, RIGHT? >> YES, THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT THERE IS REGULATORY PROBLEMS ON EVERY LEVEL WHICH WE'LL GET TO IN A MINUTE TALKING ABOUT SUBSTANCE ABUSE, MENTAL HEALTH, REGULATORY PROBLEMS THERE AS WELL BUT, YOU KNOW, IN SOME INSTANCES, IT'S NOT REGULATION. IT'S JUST THE PROCESS THAT TAKES SO LONG THA, THE PERMITS YOU HAO HAVE AND FUNDING IS SLOW DRIVES UP THE COST. VOTERS IN LOS ANGELES TAXED THEMSELVES SEVERAL YEARS AGO TO GET HOUSING BUILT BUT DIDN'T REALIZE BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE RED TAPE, THE COST IS SO EXPENSIVE. IT BETWEEN SIX AND $700,000 PER UNIT. SO JUST IMAGINE AN APARTMENT BUILDING WITH 24 UNITS AND MULTIPLY THAT, IT IS THE EXPENSES THAT'S WHY IT IMPORTANT FOR ME TO CUT THE RED TAPE TO FAST TRACK AND PROMOTE BUILDING AT THE SAME TIME, THOUGH, UNTIL THE SECOND WEEK THAT I WAS IN OFFICE, I LAUNCHED A PROGRAM CALLED INSIGHT SAFE TO END STREET HOMELESSNESS AND GET PEOPLE OUT OF ENCAMPMENTS, NOT ARREST THEM. NOT GIVE THEM TICKETS. NOT JUST MOVE THEM TO ANOTHER LOCATION BUT MOVE THEM FROM A TENT INTO A MOTEL AS TEMPORARY HOUSING AND THEN INTO PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING. >> WHAT ROLE DOES MENTAL HEALTH PLAY IN THIS? >> MENTAL HEALTH PLAYS A ROLE EVERYWHERE. I MEAN, IT IS A HUGE PROBLEM. I DON'T SUBSCRIBE TO THE NOTION THAT EVERYBODY THAT IS ON THE STREET HAS A MENTAL ILLNESS BUT A SIGNIFICANT PERCENTAGE DO. IT'S A CHICKEN AND EGG ISSUE. IF I WERE ON THE STREET, I DON'T KNOW WHAT MY MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION WOULD BE LIKE. THE QUESTION IS THAT WHY YOU'RE UNHOUSED? OR DID YOU DETERIORATE MENTALLY AND EMOTIONALLY BECAUSE YOU WERE UNHOUSED? AND SO THAT IS AN ISSUE THAT HAS TO BE ADDRESSED, SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH HAVE TO BE KEY COMPONENTS OF ADDRESSING THE UNHOUSED OR WE WILL NOT SOLVE THIS PROBLEM. >> YOU HAVE A VERY WELL THOUGHT OUT POINT OF VIEW ON THIS AND SO I'M JUST DURING USE. WHAT INFORMS YOUR POINT OF VIEW ABOUT THE BEST WAY TO GO HERE? >> FIRST OF ALL, BEING INVOLVED IN THIS ISSUE FOR OVER THREE DECADES AND THE EARLY '80s I WORKED IN L.A. COUNTY EMERGENCY ROOM. MY PATIENTS WERE UNHOUSED. I SEEN THIS PROBLEM AND SAW IT AS IT WAS BEGINNING IN THE EARLY '80s AND COMPLETELY COINCIDED WITH THE CRACK COCAINE EPIDEMIC. WE HAVE NEW DRUGS THAT ARE EPIDEMICS WHETHER METH OR FENTANYL AND WHAT I SAW FROM SOCIETY WAS NO PUSH TO DEAL WITH THE HEALTH PROBLEM BUT THE STRONG PUSH IS CRIMINALIZE IT AND PAST LAWS THAT LOCKED PEOPLE UP AND DID NOT DEAL WITH THE ROOT CAUSES AND THEN I FORMED AN ORGANIZATION AND SPENT 14 YEARS IN SOUTH U CENTRAL LOS ANGELES THE STREETS DOING ORGANIZING TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM AND PREVENT THE PROBLEM WHEN I WENT ON TO MY ROLE AS A LEGISLATOR, I WAS STILL ADDRESSING THE ISSUE. THAT'S WHY I FOCUSED ON THE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM, WHICH IS ONE OF THE FEEDER SYSTEMS TO HOMELESSNESS AND ALSO TO THE PRISON SYSTEM AND THEN FOCUSSED ON LEGISLATION. BECAUSE THE ISSUE IS THE PEOPLE IN TENTS IS A DIVERSE GROUP OF PEOPLE. IT'S NOT THE SAME. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN ON THE STREETS. THERE ARE WOMEN THAT FLED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SITUATIONS. THERE IS VETERANS. THERE IS PEOPLE ON THE STREETS IN TENTS WHO ACTUALLY WORK FULL-TIME. THEY JUST CAN'T AFFORD FIRST OR LAST MONTH'S RENT. THEIR CREDIT IS BAD OR HAVE A HISTORY OF BEING EVICTED AND CAN'T GET ANYBODY TO RENT TO THEM. IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE DIVERSITY OF THE POPULATION AND PROVIDE APPROPRIATE STRATEGIES FOR EACH CATEGORY OF INDIVIDUAL ON THE STREETS. >> THESE SOUND LIKE THE THINGS YOU'VE BEEN FOCUSED ON FOR AWHILE. >> IT IS. YOU WORK ON ISSUES FROM THE VANTAGE POINT OF WHERE YOU ARE AND THAT IS WHAT MADE ME COME HOME AND I FELT THE LEVEL OF ANGER IN LOS ANGELES WAS SO HIGH WE WERE GETTING READY TO TAKE A VERY SERIOUS TURN TO THE RIGHT, CONSERVATIVE MOVE THAT WOULD HAVE LED TO I WANT TO GET RID OF THE PEOPLE, I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU DO WITH THEM. JUST GET THEM OUT OF MY SIGHT. THE MINUTE PEOPLE HAVE THAT ATTITUDE, THEN YOU HAVE CRIMINALIZATION. >> I WILL -- YOU KNOW, CONSERVATIVES HAVE ARGUED FOR SOMETIME THAT THE REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS OF TOO MANY OF OUR MAJOR CITIES HAVE BEEN TOO STRICT, TOO CUMBERSOME FOR SOMETIME THEY INHIBITED THE MARKET IN ADDRESSING THIS NEED. DO THEY HAVE A POINT? ARE THEY RIGHT? >> ABSOLUTELY THEY HAVE A POINT. I MEAN, REGULATION SHOULD BE PUT IN PLACE TO PROTECT PEOPLE BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENS, THIS IS ACROSS THE BOARD. WHEN LEGISLATORS PAST LOW AND RELG LAGTSS PUT IN PLACE, UNLESS THERE IS A POLICY, NOTHING STOPS IT FROM GOING ON FOREVER SO FOR EXAMPLE, 50 YEARS AGO, REGULATIONS WERE PUT IN PLACE TO DEINSTITUTIONALIZE THE MENTAL HEALTH FACILITIES BUT NOBODY STUDIED IT FIVE OR TEN YEARS LATER TO SAY IS THIS WORKING? WAS THIS THE BEST POLICY? POLICIES NEED TO BE REVIEWED AND WHEN OUTDATED OR ACTUALLY CUMBERSOME, YOU NEED TO CHANGE THE POLICIES. >> THERE ARE OTHER ISSUES ON THE TABLE IN SOMEWAYS MIGHT BE RELATED BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED KIND OF THE LEVEL OF ANGER. IS CRIME PART OF THAT? YOU YOURSELF WAS BURGLARIZED. TELL ME ABOUT THAT. >> THERE IS A SECTION OF UNHOUSED AND CRIME. THAT DOESN'T MEAN THE TWO ARE EQUAL MEANING EVERY HOMELESS PERSON IS A CRIMINAL BUT THERE IS AN OVER LAP AND A LOT OF THE OVER LAP IS BASED ON SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL ILLNESS. PUBLIC SAFETY IS A PROBLEM. IT'S THE NUMBER ONE JOB OF ANY MAJOR IS KEEP ANGELENOS SAFE SO WHAT I BELIEVE AND THE OTHER ISSUE I'M WORKING ON. I BELIEVE ON STOPPING CRIME WHEN IT HAPPENS, HOLDING PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE BUT BELIEVE IN MAKING A VERY SERIOUS INVESTMENT TOWARDS CRIME PREVENTION AND YOU WILL SEE ME DO THAT. I HAVE NOT LAUNCHED THAT YET AND I WILL REMIND YOU THAT I'VE BEEN IN OFFICE FIVE WEEKS. ONE MONTH AND THREE DAYS. >> I'M NOT SUGGESTING, MAYOR, PEOPLE WHO ARE UNHOUSED ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MOST OF THE CRIME. THAT'S NOT THE QUESTION. I'M SUGGESTING WHEN PEOPLE FEEL THERE IS A LEVEL OF DISORDER IN THEIR COMMUNITY, IT MAKES THEM ANGRY AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MAKES PEOPLE FEEL A SENSE OF DISORDER IS THE SORT OF TENT ENCAMPMENTS. IT JUST SEEMS UNREASONABLE THAT IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, YOU HAVE PEOPLE LIVING IN TENTS IN AFMAJOR CITIES LIKE LOS ANGES AND NEW YORK AND THE STREET CRIME PEOPLE EXPERIENCE WHICH IS SPIKING IN A NUMBER OF LOCALITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY, BOTH SO-CALLED RED STATES AND BLUE STATES AND LOTS OF DIFFERENT PLACES CREATES A SENSE OF UNEASE AND ANXIETY. >> I COULDN'T AGREE WITH YOU MORE. BUT THERE IS AN OVER LAP AND I'M REPERRING TO THE OVER LAP AND THE OVER LAP IS BASED A LOT IN SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL ILLNESS AND THE SCARCITY PEOPLE FEEL. THE UPTICK IN CRIME IS NOT COMPLETELY ABOUT THE UNHOUSED POPULATION. WE DEFINITE LY KNOW THAT. YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. WHEN YOU DRIVE BY ENCAMPMENTS TO ME, IT'S SHOCKING. THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA HAS THE FOURTH LARGEST ECONOMY ON EARTH. HOW DO YOU HAVE 67,000 IF YOU COUNT THE COUNTY, PEOPLE UNHOUSED IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY? SO I THINK WHEN I DRIVE BY IT IS TRAGIC AND ACCLIMATED TO, WELL, YOU KNOW, ON THE STREET. >> THE FACT IS YOU'VE BEEN IN POSITIONS OF LEADERSHIP FOR SOMETIME. ONE OF THE ARGUMENTS REPUBLICANS MADE OR CONSERVATIVES MADE IS DEMOCRATS RUN THESE CITIES FOR A LONG TIME AND THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS HAPPENED UNDER THEIR WATCH. SO IS THIS NOT AN INDICTMENT OF YOUR PREDECESSORS TO SAY THEY FAILED TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM AGGRESSIVELY? >> YOU KNOW, FIRST OF ALL, I MEAN, I THINK THAT REPUBLICANS ABSOLUTELY USE THAT RHETORIC BUT ALSO THE FIRST ONES THAT WON'T ALLOW HOUSING BILLS TO BE FUNDED, AS WELL. ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I HAVE NOT JUST INTRODUCED BILLS ON HOMELESSNESS IS BECAUSE I DON'T BELIEVE IN INTRODUCING BILLS I KNOW ARE GOING TO GO ABSOLUTELY NOWHERE WHICH IS WHY I FOCUSED ON PREVENTION. SO THEY SAY THAT ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH EVERY TIME THERE IS A MASS SHOOTING BUT YET, PROVIDE ABSOLUTELY NO RESOURCES FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND QUIET AS ITS KEPT, CRIME, AND HOMELESSNESS, IS NOW CREEPING INTO REPUBLICAN CITIES AS WELL. FENTANYL AND OXY ARE WHAT THEY ARE SUFFERING FROM. >> IS THERE A ROLE FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND WHAT IS IT? >> HUGE, HUGE. I'M SITTING HERE IN WASHINGTON D.C. TO ATTEND THE CONFERENCE AND MEETING WITH CABINET MEMBERS. I MET WITH THE VA SECRETARY. WHY? THERE IS HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF HOMELESS VETERANS AND MET WITH SECRETARY BAR ECEBECERRA. WHY? BECAUSE OF MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND WE NEED REGULATORY RELIEF FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AS WELL BECAUSE RIGHT NOW YOU HAVE TO FOR RESIDENTIAL DRUG TREATMENT, YOU CAN ONLY STAY IN TREATMENT FOR 90 DAYS. NO ONE WHO HAS BEEN AN ADDICT FOR YEARS IS GOING TO GET SOBER IN 90 DAYS SO I'M HERE ASKING FOR REGULATORY RELIEF THERE. SO WHAT I BELIEVE HAS TO HAPPEN AND IN MY 30 DAYS OF BEING IN THE SEAT, I WORKED HARD TO BRING ABOUT AND THAT IS AN ALIGNMENT OF EVERY LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT. THE CITY AND COUNTY USED TO BE AT ODDS. WE'RE BEGINNING TO WORK TOGETHER IN ALIGNMENT WITH OUR GOVERNOR THAT WANTS TO ADDRESS MENTAL HEALTH. WE'RE IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE ADMINISTRATION WHERE THE PRESIDENT HAS SAID HE WANTS TO REDUCE HOMELESS NNESS BY 25% SO ALIGNING EVERY LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR AGAIN JUST LIKE YOU WOULD IN A NATURAL DISASTER, WE NEED TO MOBILIZE ALL OF OUR FORCES. >> BEFORE WE LET YOU GO, MAYOR, YOU'VE BEEN IN WASHINGTON FOR THE LAST, YOU KNOW, DOZEN YEARS AND YOU KNOW YOU'VE SEEN THE POLARIZATION INCREASE. DO YOU BELIEVE THIS IS A SUBJECT SUFFICIENTLY COMPELLING TO ALLOW THE PARTIES TO BRIDGE -- >> NO. >> NO, YOU DON'T? NO? >> NO, I DO NOT. THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, AGAIN WHAT YOU SAID A FEW MINUTES AGO. THE REPUBLICAN PARTY'S POSITION IS THIS IS A PROBLEM OF DEMOCRATIC CITIES. THEY WILL USE THIS ISSUE TO RUN ON EVEN THOUGH IT'S BEGINNING IMPACT THEIR CITIES SO MY FOCUS ON WASHINGTON IS ADMINISTRATION, NOT THE HOUSE OR THE SENATE. NOT LEGISLATIVELY. I'LL TALK TO MY TWO SENATORS AND OVER 20 MEMBERS OF CONGRESS IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY FOR SPECIFIC APPROPRIATIONS BUT IN TERMS OF LEGISLATIVELY, THIS AS WE'RE GETTING READY TO GO INTO CAMPAIGN SEASON EVEN THOUGH IT JUST ENDED AND I DON'T BELIEVE REPUBLICANS WILL LET UP AT ALL BECAUSE THEY'VE POLITICIZED IT, TURNED IT INTO A PARTISAN ISSUE AND SAID IT'S A DEMOCRATIC ISSUE. I MEAN, THE LARGE CITIES ARE DEMOCRATIC CITIES. THE LARGE CITIES OF COURSE EXPERIENCE HOMELESSNESS MORE. AS LONG AS YOU POLITICIZE IT AND RUN ON IT, I DON'T EXPECT SUPPORT. >> THE MAYOR OF LOS ANGELES KAREN BASS. THANK YOU FOR TALKING WITH US TODAY. >> YOU'RE WELCOME. THANK YOU.