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THE BOTTOM LINE - Los Angeles stands at a defining moment. With global events approaching, disaster recovery underway, and persistent challenges in homelessness, public safety, and infrastructure, residents are asking a simple but urgent question: can the city deliver real results?
In a recent conversation on The Bottom Line Show, Councilmember Traci Park outlined progress in Council District 11 while acknowledging the structural challenges confronting Los Angeles.
Restoring Order and Housing the Unhoused
When Park took office in late 2022, homelessness and unregulated encampments dominated the Westside landscape.
Her office expanded outreach teams, added service providers, and implemented targeted encampment interventions. Hundreds of individuals who had been living on sidewalks and public spaces have since been moved into housing and supportive services.
Venice Beach — once labeled one of the most dangerous beaches in America has become a symbol of recovery. Safety improvements and restored access have helped reposition the area as a global destination now slated to host World Cup activations and Olympic competitions.
While progress is visible, Park acknowledges lasting solutions will require sustained investment, regional coordination, and continued public oversight.
Disaster Recovery and a Path Home
Following the devastating Pacific Palisades disaster, recovery remains both a logistical challenge and a moral responsibility. The city is transitioning from one of the largest debris removal efforts in its history to what will become one of its largest reconstruction efforts.
Ensuring displaced residents, renters, and small businesses can return home remains central to the recovery mission.
Public Safety: A System Under Strain
Park offers a stark assessment: Los Angeles is not prepared.
She notes the fire department remains understaffed for a city of this size, with no new stations added in decades. Recent disasters exposed the consequences of long-term underinvestment in emergency response capacity and infrastructure.
With global events approaching and wildfire risks rising, Park supports a proposed ballot measure aimed at strengthening emergency preparedness and expanding public safety resources.
The Reality of Disaster Response
Major disasters bring prolonged displacement and infrastructure strain. Residents should be prepared to leave with medications, documents, and essential belongings.
Utilities restoration can take weeks a reminder of the city’s infrastructure vulnerabilities.
Yet one lesson stood out: communities stepped up. Neighbors helped neighbors, and Angelenos rallied to support displaced families.
Homelessness Spending vs. Results
Despite billions spent, homelessness remains a source of public frustration and mistrust.
Park argues the current system lacks accountability and measurable outcomes. She believes reforms must include accepting help when offered, paired with structured consequences when individuals refuse services.
She emphasizes the urgent need for long-term residential treatment, mental health care, and recovery housing. Many individuals living on the streets require medical and psychiatric care — not temporary shelter.
Compassion, she argues, must be paired with accountability.
Measuring Success Beyond Encampments
Residents can judge progress by observing neighborhood conditions and city responsiveness.
Encampments on the Westside have declined significantly, though RV encampments present a growing and more complex challenge.
True success requires tracking outcomes whether individuals receive services, stabilize, and transition toward recovery and permanent housing.
Budget Reality: Fund Core Services First
Facing structural deficits, Park emphasizes a guiding principle:
Fund core city services first.
Public safety, infrastructure, sanitation, and emergency preparedness are foundational. She warns Los Angeles has diverted resources into programs lacking measurable results while neglecting basic services and infrastructure maintenance.
Without reprioritizing spending, the city risks falling short as it prepares to host global events.
Paying More, Receiving Less
Residents feel the strain of rising costs and declining services potholes remain, response times lag, and public spaces feel neglected.
Restoring trust requires fiscal discipline, measurable outcomes, and transparency in how tax dollars are spent. If costs continue shifting to taxpayers, residents are right to demand visible results.
Infrastructure and the Olympic Opportunity
Upcoming global events are being leveraged to improve roads, mobility access, and public amenities. Venice’s marathon and cycling routes, for example, are driving infrastructure upgrades that will benefit residents long after the events conclude.
Still, long-term improvement requires multi-year planning and sustained investment in repair and maintenance.
Rebuilding Trust Through Transparency
Public confidence in City Hall has been shaken by ethics scandals and skepticism.
Park emphasizes transparency, public engagement, and measurable outcomes as essential to rebuilding trust. Public-facing data tracking housing placements, permits, and shelter availability can help restore accountability.
Neighborhood Councils: The Front Line of Local Democracy
Park strongly supports the neighborhood council system, calling volunteers essential partners who understand community needs.
She opposed cuts affecting neighborhood councils, arguing that reducing support for civic participation undermines democratic engagement.
Looking Ahead: Opportunity Amid Challenges
Despite financial uncertainty, Los Angeles faces unprecedented opportunity. Recovery continues, new businesses are opening, and global events are accelerating investment in infrastructure and public spaces.
Ensuring residents can return home, neighborhoods feel safe, businesses thrive, and Los Angeles presents itself confidently on the world stage will define success in the years ahead.
The policy choices shaping the Westside today may offer a blueprint for how Los Angeles confronts its citywide challenges tomorrow.
As Los Angeles prepares for global attention while confronting persistent local crises, the stakes could not be higher.
The question is no longer whether change is needed but whether city leadership can deliver results residents can see, measure, and trust.
For voters and taxpayers alike, the future of Los Angeles will be judged not by promises, but by performance.
(Mihran Kalaydjian is a seasoned public affairs and government relations professional with more than twenty years of experience in legislative affairs, public policy, community relations, and strategic communications. A respected civic leader and education advocate, he has spearheaded numerous academic and community initiatives, shaping dialogue and driving reform in local and regional political forums. His career reflects a steadfast commitment to transparency, accountability, and public service across Los Angeles and beyond.)
