DeKalb GA News

A new report reveals that Los Angeles allocates more funding for homelessness than for firefighting, despite a notable portion of fires being attributed to homeless individuals. The report indicates that nearly a third of fires in the last six years in Los Angeles involved homeless individuals. This has drawn attention to the resource limitations of the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD).

According to a memo from Interim LAFD Chief Ronnie Villanueva, there has been a notable increase in calls related to homelessness, which further strains departmental resources. In fiscal year 2024/2025, Los Angeles allocated approximately $961 million to address homelessness, whereas the LAFD's budget for the same period was about $837 million.

Freddy Escobar, president of the United Firefighters of Los Angeles, expressed concerns about the funding allocation. "We don’t want to criminalize homelessness, but we need additional resources strictly for homelessness," he stated, emphasizing the need for more funding.

The situation has prompted a U.S. attorney to investigate the effectiveness of the spending on homelessness, raising questions about the allocation of resources and priorities in addressing the homeless crisis and the adequacy of support for the fire department.