Empty hotel rooms in Los Angeles could become homeless housing.
The proposal - advanced by the largest union of hospitality workers through a petition - will be submitted to the vote of the citizens in March 2024 and provides that every hotel,
from the most modest to the luxury one
, at a certain point of the day he will have to give an account of the rooms left empty and consequently welcome people who show up with a voucher funded by the city.
The proposal is seen as a response to the homelessness crisis afflicting Los Angeles, which saw an increase of more than 16% during the early days of the pandemic.
According to CNN, on average every night in Los Angeles County there are
over 60,000 homeless people, while about 20,000 hotel rooms are left unoccupied
.
The hotel and local trade associations oppose the proposal.
"It's insane, it won't solve the problem," said Stuart Waldman, president of the Valley Industry & Commerce Association.
Waldman also fears people will be discouraged from visiting the city.
"I don't want - he continues - my children come into contact with people I don't trust. I don't want to find myself in an elevator with someone who has a mental breakdown. The idea that you can mix homeless people with paying guests just doesn't work" .
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