Blumenfield assembles his Emergency BobCAT on Disaster Preparedness and hundreds of West Valley volunteers to rapidly distribute emergency supplies to evacuees of the Woolsey Fire

Emergency Preparedness has long been one of my top priorities — a passion forged by the 1994 Northridge Earthquake and my extensive work helping the Valley recover. From building a robust emergency preparedness volunteer action committee that has stepped up during disasters, to hosting LAFD CERT trainings at my District Office, to passing legislation designed to bolster readiness --my goal is to make every West Valley resident better prepared for the next disaster. Remember, it's not "if" but "when" the next disaster will strike. Read below to learn more about some of my efforts to expand emergency preparedness.

Learn more about how Councilmember Blumenfield assembled a community action team that has taken unprecedented steps to keep the West Valley safe and well-stocked with essentials for the next disaster, and learn all about how you can be better prepared and look out for your community.

• BobCAT (Community Action Team) on Disaster Preparedness
• Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Checklist on how to prepare for a disaster
• Seismic Retrofit and other legislation
• Laying out a Fire Safe Council for Community Preparedness
• Join LAFD's volunteer CERT Program
• Reflection on the 1994 Northridge Earthquake

Blumenfield at an encampment in an underpass to offer services to those living unhoused. 

Message from Councilmember Bob Blumenfield

We must continue to strive for creative solutions to find shelter for every person living unhoused in Los Angeles.  People are dying everyday on our streets and we must act with urgency. Though the West Valley has fewer people living unsheltered compared to the other districts in the City, our community continues to face serious humanitarian and quality of life issues.

I share the frustrations I hear from many of my constituents that change isn’t happening fast enough as we see freeway underpasses become makeshift shelters and RVs lining up on commercial corridors. The fact that we have thousands of people living on our streets is unconscionable and should never be ‘normalized.’ I am saddened by the many broken lives we encounter,and troubled by what  this teaches our children about our society. The human suffering we see on the streets is unacceptable, and we have to do more to end homelessness in our City.

My staff and I spend more time dealing with homelessness than any other single issue. I will continue to work proactively, and constitutionally, to curb homelessness locally within the powers of my office, as well as by partnering with the County and State on a number of efforts.

This page is a glimpse into the efforts I have spearheaded to address homelessness locally, as well as the long and short term strategies I have been able to help lead throughout our City. From building more permanent supportive housing and transitional housing, to job assistance, to making sure the County gets the resources it needs to help the drug addicted and mentality ill, much more work needs to be done for both short and long term solutions, and I remain committed to tackling the crisis.

PROVIDING SHELTER AND ASSISTANCE

• Permanent Supportive Housing
• Creative Financing to Support Affordable Housing
• Cabin Communities
• Safe Parking
• Bridge Housing
• Project Homekey
• Homeless Housing and Recovery Project (HHRP)
• Homeless Connect Days

HELPFUL RESOURCES

• The Homeless Count
• Important Frontline Contacts
• Call LA Homeless Outreach Portal
• LAHSA Data