Karen Bass was sworn into office as the first woman mayor of Los Angeles, marking another milestone in her career.

Kamala Harris, the first woman and first female of color to be elected vice president, administered the oath at Los Angeles City Hall.

Bass’ Sunday remarks were centered on her plans for resolving the city’s housing crisis. There are approximately 40,000 people living in the streets.

Bass stated, “Today, too few Angelenos have any choice but to stuff multiple families into one house, and to work multiple jobs just barely to pay rent,”

“Tragically our city has earned shameful crown of being home to most crowded neighborhoods in America – Pico Union and South L.A. East L.A. East L.A. The East Valley,” she said. Angelenos, you know your mission – to build housing in every neighborhood.

She stated that her first act in office as mayor will be to declare an emergency regarding homelessness.

Despite billions of dollars being spent on interim and permanent housing units by the state, county, and city governments, construction has been slow. According to the latest count, there has been a 1.7% increase in homelessness since 2020.

Bass’ plan calls to house 15,000 people within one year, and end tent encampments with existing funding. She stated that the city would invest more in trained “neighborhood services teams” to help people connect with housing and mental healthcare.

Six-term Congresswoman, she argued that her relationships with national and state lawmakers would result in more funding for Los Angeles to address its housing crisis.

Bass also pledged to make use of her connections in the Biden administration to solve problems such as the need for federal housing vouchers. She has also stated that she will pursue federal waivers in order to create more mental health and substance abuse facilities, with a larger number of beds.

Bass, whose house was broken into earlier in the year, made a commitment to address crime concerns. She also mentioned her plan to increase police staffing at a time when it is difficult to recruit new officers. Bass has suggested that at least 250 police officers be moved back to patrol, and she has stated that she would hire more civilian workers to make it easier for more officers to return to the beat.

Bass defeated Rick Caruso (real estate magnate and billionaire who spent more than $104million to defeat her in November), a fierce challenge. She is now the term-limited mayor Eric Garcetti.

Bass was elected to the California state Assembly as a 2004 member. She became the first Black woman to be elected to any state assembly.

Bass will be the first Black mayor in four of the largest US cities. This includes Eric Adams in New York City, Lori Lightfoot in Chicago, and Sylvester Turner, Houston.