LOS ANGELES—On September 8, a spokesperson for Los Angeles Mayor, Karen Bass confirmed that she was formally stepping down from the board of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) Commission, affective September 9, 2026. The news was first posted by ABC7LA on their Instagram page.
On July 11, the U.S. Department of Housing of Urban Development (HUD) Office of Inspector General (OIG), Secretary, Scott Turner, issued a statement announcing the opening of an investigation regarding “lack of financial management and internal controls.”
“Under President Trump’s leadership, HUD will fund results, not corrupt failure or the homeless industrial complex. Year after year, hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars were funneled to LAHSA with little accountability. Meanwhile, homelessness skyrocketed. Taxpayers will no longer bankroll an organization that puts its own self-interests ahead of the Americans it was created to serve,” HUD Secretary, Scott Turner stated.
For years, American taxpayers have been sending millions of dollars to Los Angeles to house the homeless and other vulnerable Americans. The result? Fraud and corruption. That ends today. None of this would have been possible without the leadership of Secretary Turner,” said White House Task Force Executive Director, Scott Brady.
The full text of the statement from HUD may be found here.LAHSA-notice-of-suspension
On September 9, the House Oversight Subcommittee on Delivering Government Efficiency Chairman Tim Burchett (R-Tenn) announced the date and time of the hearing as follows.
Fixing Fraud and Failure in Federally Funded Homelessness Services
Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. E.T. (11:00 a.m. PST)
2154 Rayburn House Office Building
Attendees: Mayor Karen Bass
Witnesses: Senior Fellow, Cicero Institute, Paul Webster
Senior Fellow, Journalist, Discovery Institute, Johnathan Choe
Members will showcase the city of Los Angeles as an example of how fraudulent spending led to perpetual homelessness. Instructions to reverse the cycle of failed policies and create a new path forward to benefit the homeless individuals the funds were intended for.
Multiple reports indicate that funds totaling over $220 million for 2024, and another $944 million since 2021 was received by LAHSA. Investigations revealed empty hotel rooms rented with funds while the unhoused individuals were sleeping on the streets, in tents, and on the beaches throughout Los Angeles County.
The full scope of fraud and abuse will be discussed at the open meeting on September 15th. The meeting will be livestreamed.
