Los Angeles mayor slashed fire budget last year, prioritized homeless population

Los Angeles’ budget is in the spotlight as multiple wildfires rage around the city amid revelations that Mayor Karen Bass slashed the fire department’s budget last year while prioritizing spending on the city’s homeless population.

For the 2023-2024 fiscal year, Los Angeles budgeted $837 million for the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), which was roughly 65% the size of the homeless budget of $1.3 billion.

An analysis by L.A.’s city comptroller last year found that roughly half the budget for homelessness went unspent.

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From the 2023-2024 to the 2024-2025 budgets, the LAFD’s budget was reduced by over $17 million from $837,191,237 to $819,637,423. 

Bass had proposed a larger budget cut to the LAFD, about $23 million, but it was not adopted.

FOX Business has reached out to Bass’ office for comment on the reasoning behind the cuts. 

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The budget for homelessness was also reduced in the 2024-2025 budget, but remained larger than the LAFD budget.

Los Angeles is currently at the center of four ongoing wildfires — the Eaton, Palisades, Woodley and Hurst fires — which have consumed countless homes and businesses and claimed two lives.

The fires have prompted evacuation orders for more than 30,000 people and come as California faces an insurance crisis after several insurers fled the state, largely due to the costs associated with wildfire losses.

Out of 20 of the most destructive California wildfires, seven have taken place in the last five years, the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported. In terms of economic cost, the 2018 Camp Fire caused $10 billion in damage, the Tubbs Fire in 2017 cost $8.7 billion and the Woolsey Fire in 2018 cost $4.2 billion.

FOX News’ Anders Hagstrom and Kristen Altus contributed to this report.