LOS ANGELES — If the last week was any indication, Mayor Karen Bass starts her tenure with the wind at her back.
A clear indicator came when her campaign promise to declare a state of emergency on homelessness made its way through the City Council and was embraced by a body normally reluctant to relinquish power. Council members' approval provided the mayor with expanded control over the city's response to the homelessness crisis.
That early win for Bass reflects a political reality highlighted by a new poll of city voters: The mayor has more support than does the council, and a plurality of voters believe she can address the city's problems with homelessness and housing,
