Congress Seeks Hearing with L.A. Mayor Bass Amid Homelessness Funding Feud

by Tristan Navera

Congressional Republicans have asked Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass to appear at a Capitol Hill hearing amid an ongoing controversy over funding for the city's programs to address homelessness.

In a letter to Bass, Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN), chair of the House Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency, requested Bass appear at a Sept. 15 hearing. Burchett also asked for more information about the the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.

HUD recently cut off funding to that organization, which received almost $1 billion in taxpayer money since 2021 to fight homelessness. But HUD Secretary Scott Turner said funds may have been misallocated.

"Because Los Angeles officials have not adequately protected federal taxpayer dollars, it appears that many nonprofits to which those funds have been allocated are not using them for their intended purpose," Burchett wrote in the letter.

Bass' office didn't immediately comment. The mayor's office previously told Realtor.com® that it was already moving away from LAHSA amid its set of controversies, including allegations of misspent funding.

"Threatening federal funds does nothing to house people and jeopardizes the progress Mayor Bass has led to reduce homelessness for two years in a row, after it only went up in Los Angeles for years," Bass said in June. "Ultimately people will lose their lives. We urge HUD to work with the City of Los Angeles to provide the necessary funding to reduce homelessness.”

Republicans have also been critical of California legislators as HUD reported a nationwide 27% increase in homeless people since 2013, despite more funding directed at the problem. Bass, who is up for re-election, has made homelessness a major campaign issue. Reality TV personality Spencer Pratt, who is challenging Bass for the mayor's office, has his own set of answers.

Larger homelessness debate

LAHSA, created by Los Angeles city and county in 1993, coordinates government funding from federal, state, and local sources. It uses those funds for both shelter and services, working with about 100 nonprofits, in a network called Los Angeles Continuum of Care.

But it has been mired in a series of controversies. HUD investigations in 2023, 2024 and 2025 uncovered different problems, including delays, misdirected payments, and a failure to keep records. A 2019 report from the Los Angeles City Controller that found LAHSA wasn't keeping proper records of costs and outcomes.

HUD said in June it could permanently bar LAHSA from federal funds once its investigation is complete.

The hearing comes amid a larger Republican attack line on "housing first" programs, which aim to quickly move people into housing. While many homelessness groups enacted housing first programs over the past decade under Democratic leadership, Republicans favor programs tied to wraparound support services and work requirements.

Skid row, homeless, LAHSA, Judge David O. Carter — A homeless woman walks past a row of tents in Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles on March 7, 2025. (Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

At a recent Congressional hearing, Turner called housing first a "failed model." HUD aimed to redirect about $4 billion in funds tagged for homelessness to other programs, but that resulted in a lawsuit with 23 of states. A federal judge late last month blocked HUD from redirecting funds.

HUD also aimed to cut some funding for these programs in its latest budget. Ultimately Congress pushed less drastic cuts.

The National Association of Realtors and homelessness groups said those programs improve outcomes for those experiencing homelessness. Ultimately, such programs could help move people into stable housing and prevent them from being a drain on public resources, it said.

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