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LA County to take 2 homeless services
Los Angeles County will take over key administrative functions for regional homelessness programs after a 331-9 vote amid scrutiny of LAHSA. The county’s designation as the collaborative applicant could affect federal funding and housing services for more than 11,000 people.
LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Los Angeles County will take control of key administrative functions for the region's homelessness programs -- a decision made Tuesday amid immense scrutiny of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority over alleged mismanagement and misuse of taxpayer dollars.
In a 331-9 vote, the Los Angeles Continuum of Care general membership designated the county, led by the Department of Homeless Services and Housing, as the collaborative applicant and to oversee the annual point-in-time homelessness count.
While the county has been designated as the collaborative applicant, a final determination is expected to be made on Oct. 27 during a federal court status conference -- the same day a preliminary injunction is set to expire over LAHSA's suspension of access to federal dollars.
"The court is going to hold a status conference to determine the next steps regarding LAHSA, the (L.A.) CoC, as well as transition plans," Ben Kay, co-chair of the CoC Board, said.
The L.A. CoC is expected to report to a federal judge about the process and outcome to replace LAHSA as the collaborative applicant Tuesday afternoon.
Sarah Mahin, the director of the county's DHSH, emphasized the vote came during a tumultuous time for the L.A. region, where the CoC's actions could impact the ability to accept hundreds of millions of federal dollars and support more than 11,000 people with housing services.
"HSH applied because we have the capacity and the expertise to do the job, and we are committed to a collaborative, transparent, accountable and fully regionable homeless response system," Mahin said.
"There are many who would like to divide us. Today's decision is an opportunity to affirm our CoC right to self-determination and our shared commitment to a unified region. We are stronger together."
The L.A. Continuum of Care -- a collaborative body consisting of LAHSA, cities, the county, service providers and other entities -- is responsible for coordinating regional homelessness programs and federal funding. It excludes Long Beach, Glendale and Pasadena, which have their own distinct CoCs.
"Per Congressional mandate, stewardship of federal resources to end homeless in LA -- and oversight of the systems needed to accomplish that -- rests in the hands of the collaborative body brought together to shepherd these resources," Kay said.
General membership of the L.A. CoC has the authority to designate entities to oversee administrative functions for the region, which includes managing homelessness data, coordinating housing placements and overseeing applications for federal grants.
Kay emphasized that a "yes" vote to designate the county as the collaborative applicant would protect the L.A. CoC from a "management vacuum" when the federal funding suspension lifts on Oct. 27. He added it would protect the CoC's fiscal year 2026 application for federal funding.
"A yes vote today would put us in the L.A. Continuum of Care in a strong negotiating position with the court, having recommended a clear successor to LAHSA and responsible transition timelines that would ensure stability of the region," Kay said.
The vote was originally scheduled for Friday, but it was delayed because organizers were unprepared to accommodate a large crowd of people who wanted to weigh in on the issue.
Mayor Karen Bass and four City Council members criticized the CoC general membership for rescheduling the meeting, arguing that Angelenos were silenced by the delay.
Bass, City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson and Council members Ysabel Jurado, Tim McOsker and Imelda Padilla said the city should retain a role in decisions about homelessness programs and housing placements.
They said Los Angeles spends hundreds of millions of dollars on housing but does not have sufficient authority to determine who occupies those units.
"The city must be able to help the people on our own streets by placing them into the housing that we build and fund in order to solve the homelessness crisis," they said in a statement.
Kay emphasized that Tuesday's vote was just to select a collaborative applicant. The L.A. CoC is expected to select an entity or entities to oversee the Homeless Management Information System and handling the coordinated entry system.
Historically, the responsibility has fallen onto LAHSA, the joint city- county agency established in 1993. However, LAHSA announced it would step down as region's lead agency overseeing the homelessness response after the federal government suspended them from accessing funds in June.
LAHSA has agreements with the city to manage programs and contracts through June 30, 2027.
In August, a Los Angeles federal judge blocked HUD's suspension, finding that the sudden loss of cash would jeopardize housing and services for more than 11,000 people across the region. U.S. District Judge David Carter's partial preliminary injunction against HUD allowed LAHSA access to federal homelessness funding for fiscal year 2026.
On Sept. 24, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled to largely deny an appeal filed by the Trump administration over the preliminary injunction.
A panel of 9th Circuit judges held that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development failed to show a likelihood of success on the merits regarding its suspension of LAHSA, noting that the timing of HUD's action threatened to severely cripple the region's ability to apply for critical federal resources.
"HUD stands by the lawfulness of its suspension. The department will comply with the 9th Circuit's temporary order, which was made in part due to the quickly approaching deadline for CoC applications. HUD looks forward to seeing the 9th Circuit's full resolution on the merits," according to a statement from HUD.