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Los Angeles, CA — As a part of her ongoing effort to combat homelessness in Los Angeles County, Supervisor Janice Hahn is hosting a Business Summit in San Gabriel Valley where entrepreneurs, owners of local businesses, community leaders, homeless advocates and the general public will share expertise with each another, speak with policy experts, and join forces to end homelessness in Los Angeles County.

This summit stems from Hahn’s belief that partnering with business leaders is key to addressing the homelessness epidemic:

“Business owners are born problem solvers; they’re innovative, dedicated, and won’t stop until they find a solution,” said Supervisor Hahn. “That’s why it’s imperative that the County of Los Angeles taps into this incredible network and work together to end homelessness in our communities.”

The event is on Monday, FEBRUARY 27, 2017 from 9:00 AM-11:30 AM at the Hacienda Heights Community Center and is open to the public.

Speakers include: Bishop David G. O’Connell, Phil Ansell, Director of the County Homeless Initiative, Richard Hopkins, The East San Gabriel Valley Coalition for the Homeless, Anthony Duarte, CEO of The Regional Chamber of Commerce—San Gabriel Valley, and Leaders within the Business Community.

Participants should RSVP.

Today, Supervisor Janice Hahn and Supervisor Hilda L. Solis took action to address an ongoing problem delaying payments to foster parents and foster youth in Los Aneles County.

Since December 2016, hundreds of foster parents and youth have reported missed payments from the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). Problems with a recent change to the payment system that distributes funds have caused the payment delays. Today the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors passed a motion, co-authored by Supervisor Janice Hahn and Supervisors Hilda L. Solis, to expedite delayed payments and resolve the issue.

“These delays began in December and the fact that they have not been remedied is unacceptable,” said Supervisor Hahn. “They have impacted foster parents, group homes, and youth in extended foster care. Group homes depend on this money to pay their staff and foster parents and youth depend on these payments to survive. I am hopeful that we can resolve these system issues quickly and recommit ourselves to unwavering support of our foster youth and foster parents.”

“It is imperative that we ensure foster youth are supported both emotionally and financially. The County’s support must be consistent and reliable,” said Supervisor Solis. “As the custodian vested with the responsibility of caring for these children and youth, we must ensure the delays are resolved quickly and efficiently.”

The Supervisors are asking DCFS to report back to the board in 7 days and every week thereafter until the matter has completely resolved. Due to the urgency of the issue, the motion directs the department to have a complete back pay plan completed by March 14, 2017. This includes determining steps to resolve and distribute funds as well as finding the root cause of funding delays.

Los Angeles County’s foster care system is the largest in the Country. DCFS distributes thousands of payments each month to foster parents, group homes and youth in extended foster care. Low-income families and youth rely on these payments for food, rent and the necessities of life. Businesses rely on these payments for operating costs and payroll. Delays in payment by DCFS can be debilitating and have serious consequences. These circumstances make resolution of this issue essential and urgent.

Today, the Board of Supervisors proclaimed February 19, 2017 as a Day of Remembrance to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the signing of Executive Order 9066 which authorized the internment of 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II. The motion was cosponsored by Supervisor Janice Hahn and Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas and passed with unanimous support.

“We cannot forget the injustice that Japanese-Americans endured at the hands of our government in the name of national security,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn. “While we can never take back what victims went through in the internment camps, we can tell their stories and recommit ourselves to standing up for the rights of all communities so that history does not repeat itself.”

Executive Order 9066, signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 19, 1942, forced more than 120,000 Americans of Japanese descent – including children and the elderly – from their homes and businesses and incarcerated them without charge or trial under the pretext of national security. None was ever found to have committed sabotage or espionage.

“We should never forget this dark period in our nation’s history,” said Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas. “The civil liberties of the County’s most vulnerable communities continue to require vigilant protection from infringement justified by national security.”

In declaring a Day of Remembrance, the Board emphasized that “no community should suffer such violations of constitutional and human rights.” It also encouraged County employees to voluntarily participate in Day of Remembrance events to be held through October.

Los Angeles, CA — Today, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to approve and expedite a new traffic signal at the East Whittier intersection where a boy was struck by a car on his way home from school last Thursday. Supervisor Janice Hahn, who represents the unincorporated community of East Whitter, offered the motion in response to last week’s accident and it was approved with unanimous support.

“It is our duty to protect the children in our community and I worry that this intersection is particularly dangerous for the hundreds of school children that cross it every day to get to and from school,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn. “Since the accident last Thursday, members of the East Whittier community have reached out to my office to express concern about this intersection. I have instructed the County to work as quickly as possible to install the signal to prevent any more children from being injured.”

On Thursday, February 9, 2017 at 3:14 pm a driver failed to stop at a crosswalk between Candlelight and First Avenue in East Whittier and struck a seven-year-old boy as he walked home from school. After paramedics rushed him to a nearby hospital, the boy was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit where he was treated for extensive injuries.

Supervisor Janice Hahn first called for the swift installation of a traffic signal on Friday after discussing the dangerous intersection with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. Additionally, upon Supervisor Hahn’s request the California Highway Patrol will increase their presence in the area during school days to prevent and prosecute reckless driving.

Los Angeles, CA — Today, Supervisor Janice Hahn called for the immediate installation of a new traffic light in East Whittier at the site where a young boy was hit by a car yesterday while walking home from elementary school.

Yesterday at 3:14 pm, a driver failed to stop at a crosswalk between Candlelight and First Avenue in East Whittier and struck a seven-year-old boy as he walked home from school. After paramedics rushed him to a nearby hospital, the boy was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit where he is currently being treated for serious injuries.

Upon hearing of the incident, Supervisor Hahn immediately sent traffic engineers from the Los Angeles Public Works Department to examine the site and ordered them to install a traffic light. At her request the California Highway Patrol will send more officers to the area before and after school hours to prevent and prosecute reckless driving.

“As a mother and grandmother, my heart goes out to the child’s family, his teachers and classmates, and all those who love him,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn. “I can only imagine the pain they are in. It is our duty to protect our children and I will do everything in my power to make the intersection of Candlelight and First safer for the many schoolchildren who use it every day. Please join me in praying for the second-grader and his family.”

Los Angeles, CA — Today, in a motion co-authored by Supervisors Janice Hahn and Sheila Kuehl, the Board voted to take steps to establish a comprehensive regulatory framework for legalized cannabis coordinated with existing state laws in preparation for the implementation of Proposition 64 next January.

The motion asks the CEO and County Departments to identify best practices and prepare any necessary changes to current ordinances to minimize impacts on public health, safety and quality of life and ensure a smooth transition from an illicit and unregulated market to a regulated market.

“We need to build an entirely new framework and we need to do it right,” said Supervisor Hahn. “That means taking into account the unique situations of all of our cities and unincorporated areas, prioritizing public health and safety, and balancing the interests of an emerging industry with the interests of our communities.”

“This is a pioneering time for California and for the County,” said Supervisor Kuehl. “We have an opportunity to take advantage of the recent experiences in Oregon, Washington and Colorado and outline a regulatory system that will ensure the well-being of County residents and contribute to the emerging national knowledge and structures for legalizing cannabis.”

The motion also calls for engaging key stakeholders (community, business, public health experts, advocates) to obtain feedback on regulations and best practices; to work with local cities to promote uniformity of regulations and best practices; to develop an ordinance and ballot measure to tax commercial cannabis to generate net-new revenues to cover costs incurred to regulate the industry; and to initiate a robust data collection pertaining to cannabis use.

For the text of the motion, click here.

Los Angeles, CA — Today, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a program initiated by Supervisors Janice Hahn and Mark Ridley-Thomas to fund a continued partnership with People Assisting the Homeless (PATH) and South Bay Cities to strategically address homelessness in the South Bay.

The partnership was first initiated in 2016 between LA County, PATH and the South Bay Cities Council of Governments. The program funds targeted outreach to homeless encampments throughout the South Bay, builds a detailed registry of people living at each encampment to help with triaging of resources, and connects homeless residents with permanent housing, mental health services, and substance abuse services. The motion passed today renews this partnership with $210,964 in new funding.

“These targeted services, connecting people with permanent housing and support systems, are proven solutions to tackling the homeless crisis in the South Bay and across LA County,” said Supervisor Hahn. “PATH and organizations like it are doing incredible work helping people get their lives back on track and I am grateful that we can fund their efforts. However, this is not nearly enough. We need new funding sources if we ever hope to tackle the homeless crisis we are facing.”

“Voters will have an opportunity on March 7 to approve Measure H, which would invest $350 million annually on proven solutions to fight homelessness with the ultimate goal of putting an end to this humanitarian crisis once and for all,” Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas said. “In the meantime, it is crucial that we continue working with partners such as People Assisting the Homeless (PATH) to help those living on the streets find a safe place to stay, as well as affording access to supportive services.”

“As homelessness becomes more visible around the County, the South Bay COG has proactively responded by partnering with PATH to provide street outreach and housing solutions for its local cities,” said PATH Chief Operating Officer Jennifer Hark-Dietz, who also lives in Redondo Beach. “As a resident of the South Bay I’ve had the opportunity to be on both sides of seeing how services affect our community. This COG program has connected 41 people to mental health services, connected 26 people to interim housing, and helped 70 people move into permanent homes.”

One of the people the South Bay Program helped is a man named Alan. Alan was living in Whittier and working in Long Beach for International Molecular Diagnostics when he was laid off in the recession in 1995. When both his mother and brother died, he began drinking heavily to cope with his loss. In 2015, Alan suffered a stroke and when he was released from rehab, had nowhere to live and began sleeping on the streets in San Pedro. Through the South Bay Program, PATH was able to connect Alan with permanent housing in Long Beach. He now has a job as a security guard and is doing very well.

Supervisor Hahn and Supervisor Ridley-Thomas co-sponsored a motion in December to place Measure H on the March ballot to raise the sales tax by a quarter-cent to raise $350 million annually for services to help address the homeless crisis.

Los Angeles, CA — Today, Supervisor Janice Hahn secured funding from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to move forward with plans to remodel and renovate the Los Nietos Community and Senior Center in the unincorporated area of South Whittier.

“Los Nietos Community and Senior Center is so important to local residents,” said Supervisor Hahn. “I am so glad that I can help to get Los Nietos the upgrades it needs to make the local community proud and serve as many people as possible.”

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors awarded and authorized a contract with Carde Ten Architects to design the new remodeling of Los Nietos. The remodel will include a new lobby area, gallery space, pantry, art room, class room, community room, internet café, toy loan space and fitness room. Refurbishments will also include a new HVAC system, unisex bathrooms that will allow caretakers to assist seniors, and upgrades to the kitchen. Improvements to the exterior of the building will include new finishes, lighting, signage, a fitness patio and new drought tolerant landscaping.

The community and senior center is a hub for the residents of South Whittier and has everything from ESL classes, to senior fitness classes, to parenting classes, to computer classes.

The project is expected to be completed in 2018.