Los Angeles could soon be putting its homelessness reduction efforts under the microscope, following accusations that the city has reneged on its promise to tackle the crisis. According to KTLA, the L.A. Alliance for Human Rights claims the city has failed to comply with a 2022 settlement meant to address the growing issue of people living on the streets.
In response, U.S. District Court Judge David O. Carter appears ready to back a deep-dive into the city's operations. "Which provider is producing results out there?" Carter questioned earlier this month. "We have no benchmark, and we have no accountability at this point. It’s just as simple as that," he stated in comments reported by KTLA. An independent audit of Los Angeles' homelessness programs, including Mayor Karen Bass' Inside Safe initiative, is up to be discussed at a Monday hearing.
It's been revealed by NBC Los Angeles that the judge has previously shown favor for a third-party audit of the city's homeless-related expenditures. The move comes amidst increasing frustration with a perceived lack of transparency and accountability in the city's dealings with homelessness, despite substantial funding dedicated to the cause.
Indeed, L.A. City Controller Kenneth Mejia has taken to social media to voice his concerns. He has pledged to rigorously execute a "focused audit" of Inside Safe, though his ability to conduct this audit has been contested by City Administrative Officer Matt Szabo. Meanwhile, Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez has called for an audit encompassing both city and county homelessness expenditures. "Until we can verify what each level of government is doing to solve the greatest humanitarian crisis of our time, I cannot say with certainty that we have an efficient and effective operation free of redundancies," she purportedly wrote in a letter to the court.
At the heart of the issue are the settlements from a lawsuit brought by the L.A. Alliance in March 2020, aiming to compel officials to swiftly remedy the homelessness situation. The city's part of the settlement included reducing encampments and the addition of shelter beds, with the county focusing on creating treatment beds for those with mental illnesses and addictions. However, failures to meet these terms and reduce encampments have led the Alliance to demand a whopping $6.4 million fine from the city for its alleged transgressions. Judge Carter's take on this fine is yet to be declared.
