As the holiday season begins and we start planning for the new year, I wanted to take a moment to thank you.
It has been such a difficult year, but we have made incredible progress toward building a more equitable, just, and sustainable Los Angeles. We passed our Justice Budget, which invests in programs to empower our youth, clean our streets, and lift up people and communities who have too often found doors of opportunity closed to them. And, for the first time ever, we are dedicating nearly $1 billion towards ending homelessness.
In spite of the pandemic, we did not stop our fight against climate change. A few months ago, I had the honor of representing Los Angeles at the United Nations’ COP 26 in Glasgow, Scotland, where I was proud as chair of C40, a global network of mayors, to deliver a pledge by over 1,000 cities to cut their emissions in half within the next decade.
And Angelenos stepped up for one another in this crisis — whether it was masking up to stop the spread or checking in on elderly neighbors to make sure they had everything they needed.
We couldn’t have achieved what we did this year without your hard work and dedication.
I have drawn so much strength and inspiration from the Angeleno spirit, and I know it will see us through this challenging moment as we continue to support and care for one another.
I’m sending my warm wishes to you and your families for a healthy and safe holiday season and a happy New Year.
