The vibes were definitely off at Friday’s Los Angeles Continuum of Care meeting. A session meant to discuss a massive power shift regarding homelessness programs lasted all of two minutes before it was abruptly called off.
The situation
The meeting was supposed to tackle a proposal to hand over key administrative duties from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority to LA County. The County is lowkey trying to consolidate everything under its new Department of Homeless Services and Housing, but city leaders aren't having it.
The drama
Mayor Karen Bass and City Council members—Marqueece Harris-Dawson, Ysabel Jurado, Tim McOsker, and Imelda Padilla—were ready to push for shared oversight. The meeting got canned because organizers were majorly unprepared for the massive crowd that showed up. The officials dropped a joint statement calling out the mess: “Today’s meeting broke down just two minutes after it began because the Board did not plan adequately for a large audience. Angelenos want a voice in the future of homelessness services, and they were silenced today.”
Why it matters
Real talk: this is about the money and the mission. The city funnels hundreds of millions of dollars into housing, but city leaders feel like they have zero say in who actually gets placed in those units. They’re arguing that if the city is funding the infrastructure, they need a seat at the table to ensure their unhoused neighbors get the help they need. Without that collaboration, the city leaders fear the whole system will continue to struggle. A new date for the meeting hasn't been set yet, but expect this power struggle to continue.
