City of Los Angeles, CA
03/04/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/04/2026 18:52
Mayor Bass Issues Statement Regarding the City’s Potential Withdrawal From LAHSA
LOS ANGELES - Mayor Bass today issued the following statement regarding the City of Los Angeles' potential withdrawal from the Los Angeles Housing Services Authority (LAHSA):
"The County's decision to establish its own department and withdraw from LAHSA has created a funding and operational gap, which the City must immediately address in order to ensure life-saving services for unhoused Angelenos are not disrupted. We know that the City must build the internal capacity needed to address homelessness on our own. Withdrawing from LAHSA too quickly, without a plan and without the capacity, will no doubt cause unintended consequences that will leave more Angelenos to die on our streets.
"Over the past several years, the City has built significant infrastructure to address homelessness by expanding permanent supportive and interim housing and creating outreach, hygiene, and sanitation programs to respond directly to this humanitarian crisis. We have made progress - homelessness is down for two years in a row, a first in City history. But our work is not done.
"When the County created their new Department of Homeless Services and Housing, they also created a $300 million gap, which they had to close by prioritizing bureaucracy rather than services. At the same time, we are facing homelessness funding cuts at the state and federal level - the state has cut the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) Grant in half and the federal government is slashing homelessness funding and attempting to revoke housing vouchers. In that climate, we must continue prioritizing services to Angelenos in need, with the ultimate goal of ending street homelessness for good.
"What we need is a serious, thoughtful transition plan - the last thing we need is a new department and more bureaucracy. In the last budget cycle, we created a Homelessness Bureau within the LA Housing Department, solely focused on ensuring oversight, accountability and results. We need to continue investing in oversight capacity over time while we develop a comprehensive transition plan. My proposed budget for the next fiscal year will prioritize streamlining operations and improving efficiency within LAHSA to continue the progress made thus far.
"We need to continue putting people and services first."
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