The mayor of Los Angeles has now declared a state of emergency regarding the city’s growing homelessness crisis.

Tens of thousands of people in one of America’s supposedly affluent cities face homeless challenges, and Mayor Karen Bass is struggling to address it.

In a statement regarding the declaration of a state of emergency, Bass said that homelessness “afflicts more than 40,000 individuals and affects every one of us.”

Experts say that a high cost of living and tax rates in what is the second-largest city in the US has led to the crunch, with people sleeping scattered across city streets.

Bass says she “will not accept a homelessness crisis” and that “using the emergency order is our ability to fast-track things.” She called for a “seismic shift” in approaching the crisis.

Substance abuse, addiction treatment, and mental health concerns will also need to be addressed as the city fights to stem the tide of suffering.