L.A. Mayor, Officials Testify in Federal Homelessness Compliance Hearing

Los Angeles city officials, including Mayor Karen Bass and City Council members Monica Rodriguez and Traci Park, are testifying in a federal court hearing to determine whether the city has breached its agreement to create sufficient shelter beds for homeless residents. The hearing follows a 2020 complaint by the L.A. Alliance for Human Rights accusing the city and county of inadequately addressing homelessness, leading to a 2023 settlement requiring the county to provide additional shelter beds and subsidies by 2026. An audit in March 2025 could not verify the number of shelter beds the city claims to have created, raising concerns about transparency and accuracy in reporting encampment reductions and shelter availability. Councilmembers have expressed frustration with the city's homelessness spending, describing it as lacking transparency and accountability, with difficulties in tracking operational beds and expenditures. The court may appoint a receiver to oversee homelessness spending due to these issues, and city officials have requested more time to prepare for testimony, arguing that lower-level staff might be more appropriate witnesses. The hearing is ongoing, aiming to ensure compliance with the settlement and improve homelessness response efforts.