All articles tagged with #lahsa
Federal investigators arrested Lakiya Malone for allegedly taking over $180,000 in bribes by signing up 'ghost participants' who were not homeless at homeless housing facilities, and Michael Young, HAL founder, for allegedly funneling millions of LAHSA funds into personal uses such as private vacations and a nightclub, in a crackdown on misused taxpayer money meant to address Los Angeles' homelessness crisis.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is stepping down from the LA Homeless Services Authority board amid federal scrutiny of more than $1 billion in homelessness funds; a House subcommittee is demanding answers and Bass is unavailable to testify at the Sept. 15 hearing, with her replacement to be appointed to the 10‑member LAHSA commission after she had largely been absent from meetings.
Los Angeles’ homelessness numbers rose in the latest LAHSA count, with overall homelessness up 3.4% and unsheltered homelessness up 7.9%, a setback for Mayor Karen Bass as she runs for reelection. Bass notes funding and service gaps as drivers while highlighting progress like moving more than 6,000 people indoors; however, a notable share of those housed through her Inside Safe program have returned to homelessness, underscoring ongoing challenges and political sensitivity around the issue ahead of the November vote. Countywide figures show smaller increases and LAHSA faces federal funding scrutiny and structural debates.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development suspended the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority from about $69 million in federal funding (8% of its budget) pending an inspector general investigation into chronic financial mismanagement and weak conflict‑of‑interest safeguards; HUD warned funding could be restored or permanently barred, LAHSA says the move could push thousands of formerly homeless people back onto the streets, and local officials are weighing accountability measures and options to keep federal money flowing.