Mayor Bass Leads Summit to Address Poverty and Affordability Across Los Angeles

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Over 200 Leaders from Government, Philanthropy, and Community Organizations Unite to Drive Solutions on Povertyand Affordability

LOS ANGELES - Mayor Karen Bass today joined more than 200 leaders from government, philanthropy and community organizations at the 2026 Making LA Affordable for All: A Summiton Equity, Access, and Economic Stability, hosted by the City's Community Investment for Families Department(CIFD), to promote solutions addressing poverty, housing instability, and economic inequity across Los Angeles. More than 600,000 Angelenos live in povertyand Mayor Bass is committed to creating a more coordinated and accessible system to deliver services more effectively to Angelenos in need.

"For too long, povertyhas limited opportunity for hundreds of thousands of Angelenos," said Mayor Bass."Housing instability, food insecurity, and widening wealth gaps are interconnected, and our response must be just as connected. This Summitis about bringing together strong partnerships to turn commitment into action. Together, we will take decisive steps to expand opportunity and make Los Angeles more equitable for all."

"The Summitrepresents a critical turning point in how we confront povertyin Los Angeles," said Abigail R. Marquez, General Manager of the CIFD. "In 2024, we released the City's PovertyReport, which laid bare the structural inequities driving economic hardship for too many Angelenos. Today, we are building on that foundation-bringing together leaders not just to discuss the data, but to act on it."

The Summitfocused on policy reform, homelessness prevention, tenant protections, and promoting economic development and living-wage job pathways. At Mayor Bass' direction, the CIFD, the Youth Development Department, the Department of Aging, and the Economic and Workforce Development Department will work together as a new Community Investment Department to create a more accessible system for Angelenos.

Under Mayor Bass' leadership, Los Angeles has accelerated action to expand affordability and prevent displacement:

• Building Affordable Housing: Mayor Bass signed Executive Directive 1 to streamline approvals and accelerate 100% affordable housing - as a result, more than 30,000 units are in the pipeline. The City also advanced Adaptive Reuse Ordinance 2.0 to convert underused offices and hotels into housing.

• Protecting Tenants Across L.A.: Mayor Bass enacted new tenant protections in the City's Rent Stabilization Ordinance, the first update to the ordinance in nearly 40 years. The changes now protect more than 600,000 rent-stabilized homes and help families remain in their neighborhoods.

• Preventing Homelessness Through Eviction Defense: Through CIFD's FamilySource Centers, the Mayor's Fund's We Are LA program, and coordinated eviction defense efforts, the City has helped 88,000 households, with nearly 75% experiencing improved housing stability.

• Expanding Economic Opportunity: FamilySource Centers connect residents to critical income mobility services, including Free Tax Prep LA, generating more than $30 million in economic impact for low-income families last year. United to House LA has provided more than $14 million in rental assistance to seniors and residents with disabilities. The City has also raised about $2 million in philanthropic support to provide direct cash assistance to immigrant families facing economic hardship.

Los Angeles will continue to lead with a comprehensive approach to tackle poverty, expand opportunity, and make the City more affordable for all.