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I brought a motion to this week’s board meeting to create a new, countywide strategy to end veteran homelessness by 2028.
My office worked with the director of our Military & Veterans Affairs Department, Jim Zenner, to identify what barriers we need to remove to turn this goal into a reality. The motion—which passed unanimously—calls for several changes in our countywide system, including:
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Assessing County-owned properties suitable for veteran housing, including analysis of current veteran housing, occupancy levels, tenant-based resources, and regions where veterans want to live but lack access.
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Aligning veteran workforce programs with the homelessness response, expanding America’s Job Center of California access, and improving tracking of employment outcomes for veterans.
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Reviewing the feasibility of a veteran logistics center to support basic needs and emergency accommodations.
 Left: Supervisor Hahn speaks at the grand opening of Huntington Square, a supportive housing development for formerly homeless veterans and seniors; right: Supervisor Hahn talks to a veteran living at the Louis Dominguez Veterans Center she worked to open in San Pedro.
I think it is a collective sin that people feel—that those who put their lives on the line for us now find themselves sleeping on our streets.
The good news is veteran homelessness is an area where we’ve made progress. Now, I believe ending veteran homelessness is within our reach—and it is my goal that with this new framework, we can break down the bureaucratic barriers that have made it too hard for veterans to get the help they need and ensure the entire county system and our partners in the State and the VA are finally rowing in the same direction.
 This week, as ICE continued to terrorize our communities—hitting Long Beach especially hard this week—I unveiled an ordinance with Supervisor Lindsey Horvath that will bar all law enforcement, including ICE, from concealing their identities. We will vote on this ordinance at our Dec. 2 board meeting.
I never thought I would see the day when a masked, anonymous federal police force would be swarming our neighborhoods, targeting people based on the color of their skin or the language they speak, and forcing men and women into unmarked vans at gunpoint. This is how an authoritarian’s secret police operate – not legitimate law enforcement in a democracy.
We cannot give in now and make this okay in America. If this means a fight with the federal government, I think it is a fight worth having.
 This week we celebrated the grand opening of two new Project Homekey sites in Long Beach—the final two projects of the first batch of five motel and hotel sites that my office applied for back in 2020 to be turned into housing.
Together, the Zephyr and the Crescent offer 175 beautiful new studio apartments for people who are transitioning out of homelessness—and we have more in the pipeline.
The homeless crisis did not happen overnight, and it will not be solved overnight. But with every Homekey site we open, with every partnership we deepen, we are proving that solutions are within reach.
 With the holidays right around the corner, LA County is stepping up to help residents in need.
Yesterday we held our third grocery giveaway this month in partnership with the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, where we gave food to 4,000 families in need.
We still have one more giveaway coming up on Wednesday, Nov. 26, at the Fedde Sports Complex in Hawaiian Gardens. If you know anyone who is struggling right now, please spread the word.
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 Courtesy Los Angeles Times
I moved to adjourn our board meeting this week in memory of Jesse Marquez.
For as long as I’ve represented Wilmington—going on 25 years now—Jesse was a constant: a fierce, unwavering, and brilliantly strategic advocate for his community and their right to clean, breathable, healthy air.
He was the conscience of the harbor area. He never backed down, never let up, and never allowed any of us in elected office to forget the people of Wilmington.
What I will remember most about Jesse wasn’t just his advocacy—it was his heart. He loved Wilmington. He carried its history, its families, its pain, and its hopes with him every single day.
And he did everything he could to make sure Wilmington had a seat at the table.
I will miss him. I will miss his honesty, his tenacity, and the way he pushed all of us—including me—to do better. Jesse may be gone, but the movement he built is very much alive.
 The holidays are right around the corner—and if you have any unwanted guns at home, we can help with your gift-giving this year.
On Dec. 6, we are hosting a gun buyback at the South Whittier Community Resource Center where you can exchange firearms for gift cards and help make your community a little bit safer.
The Port of Long Beach is hosting a virtual meeting to update the community on the status of the Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3.
This project will reduce truck traffic and make port operations cleaner and more efficient by shifting more cargo to “on-dock rail,” where containers are taken to and from marine terminals by trains. Construction began last year and is slated to wrap up in 2032.
 Kooper is a handsome 7-year-old German shepherd mix who is all dressed up in his finest bowtie, just waiting at our Downey Animal Care Center to meet his furever family.
If you think Kooper could be the one to complete your family, you can find out more about him here or visit him during the Downey Care Center's open hours.
Whether you take home Kooper or you find another furry friend, please do your part to help control the pet population and have your pets spayed or neutered.
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(213) 974-4444
fourthdistrict@bos.lacounty.gov
