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Va Lecia Adams Kellum resigned from his position as CEO of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Agency (LAHSA) on Friday.
The decision to repay Lahsa came after the audit discovered a lack of transparency in tracking spending on services offered. The LA County Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 on Tuesday to advance the decision.
Adams Kellum’s resignation comes two years after joining the agency in 2023. In her resignation, the current CEO cites the shift in responsibility from the city’s Lahasa to LA county as a reason for her departure.
“With the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors implementing the 2020 Blue Ribbon recommendations and shifting key responsibility from Lahasa to LA County, this is the right time to step down as CEO,” Adams Kellum said.
Va Lecia Adams Kellum’s resignation letter
According to Rasa, Adams Kellam will maintain a 120-day transition period over a 120-day transition period.
In a statement, Mayor Karen Bass wrote:
“Dr. Adams Kellam saved thousands of lives in Los Angeles. She worked with my office to create the first and only city-wide program to solve the entire camp and bring people inside. She tackled the challenges of the homeless system, such as silos, services, accountability, and costs. While homelessness has risen across the country, Los Angeles has declined for the first time in over six years. It’s best for her to move forward.”
Tuesday’s decision was met with opposition from Los Angeles city officials. City Council members crossed the street from LA City Hall to oppose the vote during the board meeting.
Some council members said they are not fans of Councillor Monica Rodriguez’s homeless agency, but Rahasa said she’s “good at cashing (LA) checks,” while others said it’s not appropriate for the county government to quit Rahasa.
“We need to unite when the federal government is taking everything away,” said YY councillor Katy Yaroslavsk, who represents the Western District.
Mayor Karen Basu and councillor Nitya Raman also wrote to board members asking them to reject the proposed new county ministry. Progress has been made in the fight against homelessness through collaborative urban county agencies over the past two years, and “we need to continue building on this and face the challenges.”
The county’s votes increased countywide sales tax by a quarter, providing additional funding for the anti-homeless program.
The increase was approved by voters in November. This is a passing of Measure A, a semi-cent sales tax for homeless programs that will be permanently effective. The tax has been replaced with a previous voter-approved quarterly-centric sales tax that was due to expire in 2027.
The new county agency is expected to be implemented by January 1st, with approximately $300 million withdrawn from Lahasa and transferred to the new county agency by July 1st, 2026.
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