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CAO reports on homelessness emergency; committee notes report and flags renewal considerations
Summary
The City Administrative Officer presented a report on the 2023 local homelessness emergency declaration and the metrics that guide renewal. The committee accepted the report (3-0) and requested further legal and operational analysis ahead of the declaration's expiration.
The committee reviewed a CAO report on the city's emergency declaration for homelessness and noted the report, asking staff for additional legal and operational analysis before deciding whether to renew the declaration.
Sandy Lee of the City Administrative Officer’s office summarized the report on the emergency declaration adopted in mid-2023 under Los Angeles Administrative Code section 8.33. Lee said the declaration will expire on June 2, 2025, unless the council renews it. The CAO’s report evaluates the three renewal criteria established by the mayor: (1) whether housing production reaches 40 percent of the annual target (the CAO reported the city is at about 65 percent of the annual housing production target over an eight-year measure), (2) whether the number of people experiencing homelessness is more than twice the number of available interim beds (the CAO cited a population figure of 38,352 compared with interim bed capacity), and (3) whether there is a one-year increase of more than 20 percent in a jurisdiction’s sheltered population (the CAO said this third criterion did not apply at present).
The report summarizes emergency activities: camp operations and cleanups, automobile-housing operations, and expansion of rapid interventions such as PartnerHouse and PartnerPowerhouse programs. CAO staff said the city facilitated 234 units (presented in the report) and that PartnerPowerhouse reduced time and cost to reconnect water and power for 245 units through a utility partnership. CAO staff also explained how the emergency declaration streamlines certain transfers and payments: when a local emergency is in effect, the city can transfer funds to an emergency account and give controllers' instructions to expedite payments to providers without waiting for subsequent council authorization.
Committee members asked what would happen to interim sites, motel programs and invoice processing if the emergency declaration were not renewed. CAO staff said there are potential operational impacts: some transfers and expedited payment authorities tied to the emergency could require additional council action, which could delay payments. Committee members asked the City Attorney and CAO for a memo clarifying operational impacts and payment timelines should the declaration lapse.
The committee recorded a roll-call of yes votes from Member Román, Member Jurado and Member Bloomenfield; the report was noted and filed 3-0.
Why this matters: The emergency declaration grants the city procedural flexibilities — including expedited transfers and payment instructions — that affect operations for interim housing, motel vouchers and other programs. Understanding operational impacts is important before a renewal decision.
Next steps: CAO and the City Attorney will provide further analysis and a memorandum on operational and legal consequences of allowing the emergency declaration to lapse before the committee votes on renewal.
