The state of emergency will help to use "all available resources" and expedite the action of the authorities, said the former congresswoman for President Joe Biden's Democratic Party. She will sign a series of decrees in the coming days to rent apartments and hotel rooms for the homeless, among other things.

Rampant homelessness has long been an obvious problem in Los Angeles. Tens of thousands of people live on the streets of the Californian city. Their tents bear witness to the great poverty in the city, which at the same time is incredibly rich. Many homeless people suffer from drug addiction and mental health problems.

Karen Bass won the Los Angeles mayoral election in early November and on Sunday became the first woman in history to be sworn in as head of the city's City Hall. Homelessness was the central issue in the election campaign against rich developer Rick Caruso.

Homelessness is also a big problem in other California cities like San Francisco. The crisis is fueled by very high rents, which many people in California can no longer afford.