With 45% of Los Angeles’ budget going to the LAPD and just 0.5% to street lighting, Hernández argues infrastructure neglect — not theft alone — drives the crisis.
Councilmember Eunisses Hernández patiently answers each question. I tell her that for everyday residents, it’s hard to explain how a city like Los Angeles can struggle with public street lighting.
“There have been several factors. Let’s start with the idea that Los Angeles is a world-class city — I don’t believe that. I think the city has many problems that need to be addressed. The lack of street lighting is one of them. Tree trimming, trash collection, homelessness — these aren’t new problems. They’ve been around for a long time. And we need to start with what matters most: the city budget, where 45 percent goes to the LAPD and just 0.5 percent to the Bureau of Street Lighting,” says Hernández, who recently inaugurated a $500,000 solar-powered streetlight infrastructure project funded through her discretionary funds.
The large percentage of streets affected by the lack of lighting has made this one of the most debated issues among her opponents ahead of the June 2 primary elections. For Eunisses, public debate is positive — it raises awareness and pressure and clarifies that this isn’t just a District 1 problem.
“I’ve fought for three years to ensure public works are taken more seriously in the annual budget. It’s not just streetlights — it’s potholes, sidewalks, tree trimming, and more. It’s impossible to allocate so few resources and expect immediate results. I’ve invested in solar lighting as a smarter way to invest. It modernizes infrastructure, saves money, and prevents copper wire theft, which has been a recurring problem.”
With the allocated funds, 91 streetlights were converted to solar technology in Lincoln Heights (66 units) and Cypress Park (25 units). More are expected as additional funding becomes available.
On February 14, she and Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky introduced a $65 million proposal to modernize Los Angeles’ streetlight system. The goal is to convert at least 12% of the city’s light poles to solar power — about 500 per council district.
Street repairs represent another severe deficit. The city faces a backlog of more than 33,000 repair requests, with average wait times of 12 months.
Los Angeles has approximately 223,000 streetlights. As of February 2026:
-About 1 in 10 lights (over 10%) is nonfunctional due to copper wire theft, vandalism, or lack of maintenance.
-Roughly 40% of repair requests are directly related to copper theft and vandalism.
-Copper theft has grown from a minor issue a decade ago to causing 4 out of 10 current outages.
“The theft is significant but not the main reason for this problem. I insist — if the city dedicated more resources, the situation would improve,” she adds.
The streetlight crisis began escalating about a decade ago due to financial neglect and a dramatic increase in vandalism.
“We haven’t invested. We have outdated infrastructure. Other councilmembers have different priorities — homelessness, rents — and while all are important, we need a comprehensive plan to move the city forward. Right now, I’m accelerating investment in my district and sharing my broader vision for a citywide solution.”
Streetlights: A Simple Sign, A Complex Problem
Eunisses — as she is widely known — offers advice to concerned residents:
“Get informed. Understand the causes and the processes involved. The city, departments, councilmembers — everyone shares responsibility. I invite residents to become budget advocates, organize and demand more resources.”
She shares her frustration when traveling across the city:
“Am I happy with what I see? No! I’m not happy. We are not a world-class city. We have to work much harder and change many things to become one. I’m not happy with street lighting, sidewalks, illegal dumping… and I won’t stay silent. We have to speak up and keep working.”
This year, she is focused on accelerating progress in street lighting: “I want to bring more technology, find funding that isn’t currently in the budget. We have to innovate and be constructive — not just point fingers without sufficient information.”
Next month, her office will launch a small-business support program.
“I secured $400,000 in grants for small businesses. I didn’t want to announce it until the funds were secured. In March, we’ll officially launch the program and announce the requirements.”
Key Moments That Shaped the Crisis
1996 (Financial root cause): The Bureau of Street Lighting’s operating budget was frozen due to state property tax restrictions. Since then, 95% of its funding has not increased to match inflation or city growth.
2016–2017 (Early warning signs): Complaints about broken lights began steadily increasing, reaching about 16,500 annual requests.
2020–2021 (Tipping point): Copper prices surged during the pandemic (exceeding $4 per pound), triggering widespread cable theft. Repair requests jumped from 20,000 in 2019 to over 30,000 in 2022.
2024–2026 (Current crisis): Theft and deferred maintenance pushed the system into critical condition. Complaints increased 90% between 2022 and 2023, and by early 2026, average repair times reached 12 months with more than 33,000 pending cases.
