Los Angeles, California – At the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Mayoral Luncheon, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass spoke to key figures in Hollywood about the homelessness issue. Mayor Bass explained that within the upcoming month, residents should expect to see significant reductions in the larger homeless camps around Hollywood. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce notes that the Hollywood Walk of Fame attracts over 10 million visitors annually.
“We see both businesses coming into Hollywood, but a lot of businesses are leaving,” said Steven Nissen, president and CEO of the chamber, as reported by ABC7.
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Local businesses aren’t just focused on tourists. Jeff Loeb, the president of Pantages Theatre, mentioned that 95% of their patrons are from Los Angeles itself.
“If you’re an Angeleno, you come to Hollywood, you come to the Pantages. You come to the restaurants around us,” Loeb said.
“We need to pay special attention to Hollywood because it’s an economic driver for the entire city and indeed, the entire region,” Nissen said.
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In 2022, the Starbucks located at Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street closed its doors due to increasing crime levels. Nearby, a large homeless encampment adjacent to the Fonda Theater was cleared following several tent fires, and planters were installed in its place. Mayor Karen Bass expressed her support for businesses that take initiative against such encampments during her discussion with stakeholders.
Mayor Bass also highlighted the ongoing efforts of her office with the Inside Safe program, which repurposes empty hotel and motel rooms as temporary housing options. She further indicated that the prominent encampment outside Sunset Sound on Sunset Boulevard is slated for removal next.
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“Until we come up with a more cost-effective way of getting people off the streets, I’m going to continue to use motels even though they’re expensive,” Bass said.
