Bass, Becerra In L.A. Emphasize Approach To Addressing Homelessness Must Include Substance Abuse And Mental Health Treatment

LOS ANGELES — U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra joined Mayor Bass in Los Angeles May 31 to highlight the need to include substance abuse and mental health treatments when addressing homelessness.

Watch the press conference here. 

Mayor Bass and Secretary Becerra toured an Asian American Drug Abuse Program or AADAP residential substance abuse treatment facility where residents receive housing and services for their substance use disorders or SUD. During the visit, Mayor Bass raised the importance of residential facilities to address homelessness and emphasized that she was pursuing additional funds through the city’s opioid settlement to fund residential treatment stay for longer than the currently allowed 90 days. 

Secretary Becerra and Mayor Bass also heard from local service providers about how the federal government can provide additional technical expertise and resources to ensure that people who are experiencing homelessness and struggling with substance abuse can receive the care that they need to successfully transition back into communities.

Secretary Becerra’s visit with Mayor Bass comes after the White House announced earlier this month that Los Angeles would be one of just five other cities that would be a part of a historic partnership in addressing homelessness. Through this agreement, Los Angeles and the White House will work to fast track processes to bring people inside, address documentation requirements and other red tape that prevent people from being housed quickly, and create more regulatory flexibility such as support for expediting federal reimbursements.