A Letter from Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis
Dear Friends,
Although health authorities believe the County has likely passed the peak of the winter Omicron surge, we must not and cannot let our guard down. It is critical that we continue to follow the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health's COVID-19 safety guidelines to remain healthy -- this means getting vaccinated and boosted, getting tested and properly wearing masks, especially in indoor spaces or crowded outdoor areas.
In addition, I want to remind you that as of January 17, employers are now required to provide their employees who work indoors, and in close contact with others, with well-fitting medical masks, surgical masks, or higher-level respirators, such as N95 or KN95 masks. These upgraded masks provide better protection as they are better at blocking virus particles than cloth masks. Work sites are now also required to implement measures that will protect employees and limit any further spread of disease.
The demand for testing has been higher than ever. And while I have worked to expand access to testing for all residents in the First District -- this includes opening new testing locations and launching specific sites to pick up and drop off tests -- people with bad intentions have unfortunately taken advantage of the need of our residents by operating fraudulent COVID-19 testing sites. Therefore, I urge everyone who needs to get tested to make sure the testing site you're visiting is legitimate. Remember that legitimate testing sites will never charge you for a COVID-19 test or ask for information on your immigration status. Find all legitimate testing sites by visiting covid19.lacounty.gov/testing/. If you believe you have visited a fake COVID-19 pop-up site or purchased a fake at-home test, please report it to the Los Angeles County Department of Business and Consumer Affairs by visiting bit.ly/DCBAHelp or calling (800) 593-8222. It is only through teamwork that we will successfully get through these times.
Sincerely,
Hilda L. Solis
Supervisor, First District
 As Chair of the Metro Board of Directors, I am proud to share that we have formally approved Los Angeles Union Station as the end point for the West Santa Ana Branch Transit Corridor Project and the Slauson/A Line route to Pioneer as the Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA).
The West Santa Ana Branch will stretch from Artesia to Downtown Los Angeles through a 19-mile corridor that connects the cities of Cerritos, Bellflower, Paramount, South Gate, Downey, Cudahy, Bell, Huntington Park, Vernon and unincorporated Florence-Firestone. Moving this project forward will provide residents of these areas a healthier, more sustainable and economic alternative to driving.
This new light rail line serving Southeast Los Angeles (SELA), a region I had the honor of representing for seven years, marks a milestone in our initiative to make Metro B.E.T.T.E.R and Bring Equitable Transportation To Every Resident. A transit-dependent community, SELA overwhelmingly supported Measure M back in 2016. To that end, I’m thrilled that the LPA moving forward is in-line with the needs of residents who frequent our public transit system every day.
 In April 2021, I opened the Hilda L Solis Care First Village with 232 interim housing beds for people experiencing homelessness. The Care First Village was built on County land that was originally designated as a staging area for a new County jail. Given the site’s history, and the County’s commitment to a Care First Jails last approach to justice and homelessness, the Village was the perfect place to pilot innovative solutions aimed at reducing the jail population.
I partnered with the Office of the Public Defender to pilot a diversion program, addressing the need for short-term-housing for people who are incarcerated and experiencing homelessness who otherwise qualify for pretrial release and diversion. We reserved 5 beds for the Public Defender to temporarily house individuals while they wait for a more permanent housing solution. Thanks to this program, we have been able to keep people off the streets and connect them to the services they need for recovery.
 Proud to have co-authored Supervisor Sheila Kuehl's motion this past Tuesday on extending tenant protection for non-payment of rent of commercial renters and extend limited renter protections for residential tenants in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County through the end of the year.
As we all know, the pandemic has not affected everyone equally. Those at the lowest income levels are bearing the brunt of the crisis and are struggling to stay current on their rent. This recent action will allow us to provide more robust harassment protections to keep families safe and give them peace of mind. As Supervisor for the First District, I am committed to helping our most vulnerable fully recover.
Earlier this week, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved my motion, co-authored by Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, on improving justice data in the annual Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count.
The results of the Homeless Count, conducted every year by Los Angeles Homeless Service Authority (LAHSA), are used to help inform policy and funding allocations to address the region’s homelessness crisis. My motion seeks to better understand the links between justice involvement and homelessness, and drive policy decisions that can reduce the number of homeless and incarcerated people in our County.
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