Mayor Eric Garcetti proposed a series of new programs to help Angelenos struggling financially during the COVID-19 pandemic during his annual State of the City address on Monday. The mayor's speech represented a preview of the proposed 2021-22 budget he is sending to the City Council on Tuesday.
What's the plan?
- Guaranteed basic income pilot project that would pay $1,000 a month to 2,000 Los Angeles households living in poverty.
- Dedicates $151 million more to programs and pilots to advance racial justice and economic progress.
- Launch a $12 million L.A. REPAIR – Reforms for Equity and Public Acknowledgement of Institutional Racism.
- Letting our restaurants defer $8,000 or more of expiring fees for three years.
- Suspend valet and off-site parking requirements to help restaurants save up to $10,000.
- Make al fresco dining permanent, including nearly $2 million in grants for restaurants in low-income neighborhoods to set up permanent parklets for outdoor dining.
- The L.A. Optimized program will connect 1,000 small businesses to the transformed, postpandemic digital marketplace by providing website assistance, branding, and marketing assets to them for free.
- $25 million program to write Comeback Checks of five thousand dollars to 5,000 businesses.
For the entire speech, click here or watch above.
