LA mayor's race: Joe Buscaino calls for penalizing city councilmembers if homelessness goals not met

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Los Angeles City Councilmember Joe Buscaino, a candidate for mayor of Los Angeles, toured one of the Bridge Home shelters in his district Monday.

Buscaino says a Bridge Home, a city program to combat homelessness, is actually working and should be expanded.

Just ask 61-year-old David Sidney, who is living at San Pedro site.

"Living here is just like living in an apartment. You've got to abide by the rules. That's basically what it is," Sidney said. "If I go into an apartment -- don't tear it up, keep it clean."

The goal of Bridge Home is to be temporary and for people to find permanent housing in a few months. But Sidney has been there for 11 months.

As he waits, Sidney says not having to look over his shoulder and be guaranteed a meal and a shower has allowed him to get his life together.

"I will not allow the continued self-destruction of people on the streets when we know there are beds available. The sidewalks should not be an option. In fact, the city of Los Angeles is the only city that has weak 'no camping' laws," Buscaino said. "This is why everyone is coming to Los Angeles."

Buscaino has been successful in cleaning up large encampments in his district and has pushed for a "no camping" law, but the city council felt his proposal was too extreme.

Buscaino says they passed a watered down version. If elected, Buscaino says he would bring accountability to the city's existing programs, meaning consequences for those who refuse help and for elected officials who don't achieve results.

"If folks who are in dangerous encampments refuse to go into a safer location, options are get treated, go into drug addiction programs," Buscaino said. "As a last resort, we have to have arrest or citation on the table. We haven't arrested one soul for being homeless. In fact, you've seen the amazing improvements in my district because they know they have to make a choice by a specific date."

Buscaino has an ambitious set of goals including zero chronic homelessness in three years, beds for 50% of the city's unhoused in his first 18 months, beds for 90% of the unhoused in 36 months, and if these goals aren't met, the salaries of city councilmembers would be deferred by the percentage deficit between the beds available and the goal.

"The city has done more than any city in the region," Buscaino said. "What we're missing is what we haven't done here in my district and that is consequences."