Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is stepping down from the governing commission of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), a move that comes as a House subcommittee demands answers regarding allegations of "waste, fraud and abuse" involving over $1 billion in federal funds. Bass's office confirmed Tuesday that she would resign from the commission on Wednesday and appoint a replacement.
This departure occurs as LAHSA faces increased scrutiny over its financial management, and Bass herself is under pressure from Congress to account for the city's homelessness spending. The House Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency had requested Bass's appearance at a September 15 hearing to examine the alleged mismanagement of federal homelessness funding. Bass's office informed the panel that she would be unavailable on that date, citing scheduling conflicts, but has expressed willingness to testify at a future hearing. The subcommittee plans to proceed with the September 15 hearing with other witnesses.
Subcommittee Chairman Tim Burchett stated that Bass's resignation from the LAHSA board suggests a failure to address the city's homelessness crisis. He contended that if Bass intended to accept responsibility, she would have appeared and testified at the hearing.
Bass's decision also follows reports indicating her limited engagement with the commission since her appointment in late 2023. According to LAist, Bass missed 25 out of 47 LAHSA commission meetings, including 13 of 21 meetings in the past year. Bass cited time constraints as the reason for her resignation, telling KFI radio, "I am going to be stepping down because I just — in terms of time and all."
Bass's three-year term on the commission technically concluded on June 30, but she remained on the board until Tuesday. Her successor will join nine other commissioners who oversee LAHSA, an agency responsible for coordinating homelessness response efforts across the city and county.
The House DOGE subcommittee is proceeding with its hearing and has requested records from the Mayor's office concerning LAHSA's internal controls, federal funding, and communications between the Mayor's office and other government entities. These documents are due September 14, the day before Bass was initially scheduled to testify.
LAHSA has previously faced criticism, with the Trump administration seeking to suspend the agency and Los Angeles County establishing its own homelessness department due to performance concerns. Recent weeks have seen intensified internal scrutiny, including the removal of Commissioner Justin Szlasa, who had advocated for stronger auditing and oversight, as chair of the agency's audit committee. Szlasa had previously flagged issues, such as a nonprofit being paid for more homeless camping spaces than were actually in operation.