Los Angeles’ efforts to reduce the number of homeless people on its streets will soon face some stricter scrutiny.
Though the city settled a lawsuit filed by the L.A. Alliance for Human Rights in 2022, the plaintiffs have recently accused the city of failing to meet the terms of that settlement.
U.S. District Court Judge David O. Carter has expressed support for an independent audit of the city’s efforts, including Mayor Karen Bass’ Inside Safe program, pointing to the difficulty of determining which programs are working and which are less effective.
Bass’ office claims that during the first year of her term, more than 21,000 homeless people were brought in off the streets, though the website also says the Inside Safe program by itself has only put 2,153 people into interim housing and 402 into permanent housing.
Matthew Umhofer, an attorney for the plaintiffs, compared the lawsuit and the plaintiff’s role as akin to that of a “tough personal trainer on this issue.”
“We are going to push the city to get in shape on homelessness,” he said. “That’s our commitment to the city and our commitment to the people of Los Angeles.”
Further discussions on the scope of the audit are expected Monday afternoon, but Zach Seidl, a spokesperson for Bass, said the mayor has “moved with urgency to save lives and bring unhoused Angelenos off the streets leading to thousands more Angelenos coming inside last year than the year before.”
“Mayor Bass has long led calls for accountability, transparency and outcome measures regarding homelessness services and the cost incurred by the City, which is why the Mayor suggested an independent audit,” Seidl added.