Empty apartments in L.A. would be taxed under plan to help homeless

The Los Angeles homeless population continues to grow and that has Mayor Eric Garcetti on the defensive.

Garcetti on Tuesday released an open letter addressing L.A.’s recent actions to solve the homelessness problem and promising that process is coming.

“As your mayor, I take full responsibility for our response to this crisis,’ Garcetti wrote. “And like everyone who has seen families in tents or spoken to a homeless veteran in need, I am both heartbroken and impatient.”

With L.A.’s homeless population estimated at more than 36,000, the City Council is now taking a look at ways to increase funding for affordable housing.

“The society that we live in treats housing as a commodity, but we need to treat it as a human right,” said council member Mike Bonin.

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