Los Angeles County will conduct future homeless counts and apply for federal grants on behalf of the region’s homeless services providers, taking over two key functions from the troubled Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. However, a crucial vote sidestepped a broader battle between the county and the city of Los Angeles over other federally mandated duties long performed by the agency.
No new date was established to decide whether the city, the county, or some form of collaboration between the two will operate the database that records contacts with homeless individuals and the system that matches people to housing. While the county faced no opposition in its bid for the point-in-time count and the regional application, the city submitted competing bids for the database and matching system.
The restructuring of the agency began last year when the county Board of Supervisors voted to take control of more than $300 million in local sales taxes previously managed by the authority, subsequently creating the county Department of Homeless Services and Housing. The federal shift was touched off when the administration suspended the agency in June, citing reports of mismanagement and possible fraud.
As both local governments fight to absorb the remaining duties, the Los Angeles Continuum of Care—an amorphous decision-making body consisting of individuals in the county involved in homeless services—has been thrust into the spotlight. Both sides took extraordinary measures to influence how the body could vote on transferring the duties, which had been ordered by a federal judge following the federal suspension.
Ahead of a prior scheduled vote, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass rallied supporters, arguing that giving the county complete control over counting, tracking, placement, and service allocation would exacerbate the city’s own response and perpetuate an inadequate system. More than 1,500 people attempted to register to vote online, overwhelming the 1,000-attendee limit of the agency’s Zoom account and forcing a cancellation of the vote. Historically, no more than 100 people had participated.
In a countermove, the authority expanded its Zoom capacity to 10,000 attendees, though just over 300 voters registered online. Before the vote, Continuum of Care Chair Ben Kay recounted measures the board took to administer an impartial evaluation that scored the county higher than the city, though he did not address how the body will handle the looming contest between the two municipal powers.
The board makes recommendations to the broader membership, which then votes on them. The charter defines the membership as anyone interested in collaborative planning to address homelessness in the county, a broad definition encompassing thousands of potential participants. Voters must attest online or in person that they are members.
To manage potential conflicts during the proceedings, Kay announced that anyone affiliated with Los Angeles County was required to recuse themselves and leave the meeting room or join an online breakout room. Approximately half of those attending left the room. The subsequent vote passed with 310 in favor, nine opposed, and 12 abstentions.
The outcome represented a split decision. The county secured control of the annual homeless count and regional federal grant applications, while the city prevented the county from securing the contact database and housing-matching system. Sparring over those two vital components is set to continue.
Following a closed session of the Los Angeles City Council, Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson announced that the council instructed the city attorney to develop litigation options in the event that negotiations for the co-management of the contested programs prove unsuccessful.
