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A proposal to overhaul the way the county spends billions of dollars fighting homelessness is scheduled to go before the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.
In response to long-standing complaints about the effectiveness of anti-homelessness programs, Supervisors Lindsey Horvath and Kathryn Berger announced that the now much-maligned Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority is overseeing the multi-billion-dollar It is proposing a new county department to take over and consolidate the contracts. The program is distributed among several county agencies.
The proposal is intended to allow joint city and county authorities to perform federally mandated functions such as maintaining a homeless database, conducting a point-in-year count, and providing limited services, including winter shelter programs. The goal is to reduce the amount of time it takes to provide the following information. It has recently been expanded to include year-round emergency response activities.
However, even if Horvath and Berger’s motion is approved, it will not take effect immediately.
Instead, it would require county commissioners to submit three reports. A feasibility report within 60 days, an analysis of which counties and LAHSA programs will be absorbed into the new department within 90 days, and a financial and staffing plan within 120 days.
A new vote will then be required to proceed.
LAHSA Chief Executive Officer Va. Lesia Adams Kellum, who took over in March 2023 with a mission to reform LAHSA, said in an interview Monday that she does not oppose the measure, but “will continue to work with the county on how to proceed.” I’m looking forward to it.” Solve problems, not end government agencies. ”
Adams Kellam said she has worked successfully with Horvath, who was appointed to the LAHSA board after the 2022 election, to reform the agency’s well-known deficiencies.
“I appreciate the thoughtfulness of our supervisors in giving us time to reflect on this matter over the next 60 days,” she said.
The proposal comes in conjunction with the release of last week’s audit findings that found deficiencies in LAHSA’s handling of contract funds from Measure H, the quarter-cent sales tax for the homeless that was approved by voters in 2017. .
The audit, ordered by regulators in February, found no fraud or significant abuse, but did include failure to collect millions of dollars advanced to contractors, late payments to contractors and improper contracting. System issues such as monitoring were identified.
In supporting the motion, Horvath and Berger promised “more transparency and accountability” and called for passage of Measure A, which would double the homeless sales tax, “now is the time for Los Angeles County to make meaningful change.” The time is right.” The public is being asked to manage public funds more efficiently and effectively to solve the homelessness crisis. ”
LAHSA officials disputed many of the audit findings, saying the audit identified problems that had already been fixed or were being fixed under Adams-Kellum.
Created in 1993 as part of a settlement of a lawsuit between cities and counties, LAHSA has limited authority and a mission to end disputes between cities and counties over federal funding for homeless housing and services. Ta.
In recent years, its mission has expanded to include contract management and direct services as county funds from Measure H and a surge in the city of Los Angeles’ homelessness response budget swelled this year’s budget to $875 million.
The county motion specifies how county funding will be separated from the rest of the LAHSA budget, which includes $306 million from the city, $145 million from the state and $73 million from the federal government. It hasn’t happened.
Reaction from city leaders was mixed. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass was skeptical.
“A new sense of urgency is at the heart of our efforts to get people off the streets, not create new bureaucracies,” Bass said in a statement. “We cannot afford to create new red tape or slow the momentum to reduce encampments and connect people to housing and mental health treatment.
“Collaboration is key. We must avoid a return to the failed past, when the county and the City of Los Angeles operated in silos.”
The idea of a new department piqued City Councilman Bob Blumenfield’s interest. Although he frequently criticizes LAHSA, he also said that he believes Adams Kellum is 1000% better and has made progress over past administrators.
“I’ve always been concerned about government expansion, not ‘streamlined’ government,” Blumenfield said. “God knows we have enough layers on homelessness that we can’t keep track of it. There are so many layers of governance and organization that if we actually do it the right way, rationalization is It sounds like music to my ears. I’m still not sure if this is the right way to go.”
But Monica Rodriguez, the city council member who introduced the motion to create an office for the city of Los Angeles, sent a letter of support to Horvath on Monday.
“For too long, the county and city have relied on the Los Angeles Homeless Assistance Authority to manage homeless funds, and as a recent audit reveals, that is at great risk. My Goals is about working together across departments to manage public funds more efficiently and effectively to actually solve the homelessness crisis.”
Adams Kellam said the decrease in street homelessness recorded in the 2024 count is thanks to recent trends in the city and county working together under Mayor Karen Bass and Supervisor .
The proposal implements two recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Commission on Homelessness appointed by the Board in 2021 to study LAHSA’s governance structure. The commission’s March 2022 report calls for the creation of a county corporation to consolidate homeless services and “streamlining” LAHSA to “move away from direct services.”
Adams Kellam said he took the helm of LASHA with full knowledge of the board’s grievances and the committee’s recommendations.
“We knew about these issues,” she said. “We already came in with some idea of what needed major repairs, so we were able to make a quick impact with the new management team.”
Another Blue Ribbon Commission recommendation would create a new county corporation “that would consolidate the funding, programs, oversight, and implementation and management of a complex network of services dedicated to homelessness,” the motion said. It is stated in.
Illustrating the scope of the proposal is a list of other county agencies responsible for homelessness. This includes the Department of Mental Health, Department of Health Services, Department of Public Health, Department of Children and Family Services, and Department of Public Social Services.
Times staff writer David Zahnizer contributed to this report.
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