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City Council approves $2 million emergency summer jobs program for youth
Summary
The Los Angeles City Council approved a motion to allocate up to $2 million to reinstate a summer youth employment program, aiming to place roughly 1,700–2,000 young people in jobs in August; councilmembers said the funding fills gaps left by federal cuts and urged broader, long‑term solutions.
The Los Angeles City Council voted to approve up to $2,000,000 to reinstate a summer youth employment program intended to place about 1,700 to 2,000 young people in jobs during August.
Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas moved the motion during a special meeting session, saying the Community Development Department and the Office of Administrative and Research Services had worked on the proposal and that it offered a timely response to rising youth violence concerns. "We have the possibility now of employing some 1,700 to 2,000 young people, during the month of August," Ridley-Thomas said.
The motion won broad support. Councilmember Mike Hernandez urged flexibility in using the funds and said the allocation should not be limited to Los Angeles Unified School District placements. "The number of youth jobs that's gonna be available this particular summer is, probably 1 third of what we made available last year," Hernandez said, urging city staff to leverage the money and partner with community organizations.
Councilmember Jack Feuer called for parallel advocacy in Washington, D.C., to restore federal summer-job funding, calling the city action a stopgap that should be complemented by coordinated lobbying next year. "We should be looking to work together to try to assure that next year we have a better summer jobs program," Feuer said.
The council approved the motion on a recorded vote that yielded 12 ayes. The motion instructs the Community Development Department to negotiate program operations, authorized use of up to $2,000,000, and asks the legislative analyst (with the mayor's concurrence) to pursue increased federal support; the referral for federal advocacy (item 6 in the motion) was to be routed through the Intergovernmental Relations Committee for review.
Councilmembers who spoke during debate said the funding draws on underspent block-grant monies and general-fund releases; speakers noted the allocation does not restore the scale of past federal programs but will fund additional placements this summer.
The council directed staff to report back on program implementation timelines and to coordinate with community groups and LAUSD where appropriate. The motion passed forthwith and the council closed action on the item the same day.
Ending: The city described the $2 million allocation as an emergency step that buys short-term placements for youth in August. Councilmembers stressed the need for continued advocacy for larger, sustainable federal and state funding for future summers.
