- Los Angeles's Inside Safe program, launched by Mayor Karen Bass, has seen 40 per cent of its participants return to the streets despite moving 5,800 people into interim housing.
- The $300 million initiative, which provides motel rooms and case management, faces criticism over strict rules, such as guest bans, and concerns about its long-term sustainability due to a lack of permanent housing.
- Bass has called for an investigation into why participants are leaving the programme to improve its effectiveness.
- A spokesperson for Bass defended the program, saying that it has led to an almost 18 per cent reduction in street homelessness and a decline in homeless deaths.
- The challenges in LA coincide with a broader national struggle for homelessness funding, with a federal judge recently ruling against the Trump administration's unlawful attempts to alter criteria for a long-standing program.
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