Council approves modification to homelessness emergency item after debate over Insight Safe motel contracts

The Los Angeles City Council on May 20, 2025, approved a modification to Item 36, a homelessness emergency measure tied to motel-based sheltering and the Insight Safe program, by a 12-1 vote after a lengthy discussion among councilmembers, staff and public commenters.

The modification, as circulated to the council, was presented for a vote following public comment and council questions about how motel agreements and short-term reserves count toward the city’s obligations under a settlement agreement (the “alliance”) and how related service invoices are tracked and reimbursed. The council voted 12 to 1 to adopt the circulated modification.

Councilmember Nithya Romen, who introduced the modification, said the change was intended to align emergency funds and program decisions with the city’s broader budget process. “Esta modificación hoy está diseñada para asegurar de que nuestros fondos de todos estos esfuerzos moviendo adelante queden en alineación con todo lo que sale de la comité de presupuesto,” Romen said, emphasizing the need for centralized budgeting and clearer oversight.

Members pressed city staff for details about the number and contractual status of motel rooms in use under the city’s shelter programs. A staff representative from the Office of the Chief Operating Officer told the council that 466 rooms are contracted through June 2027 and are considered in compliance with the settlement resolution; an additional 216 rooms are under short-term occupancy agreements with extension options but are not contracted to the same anniversary date.

Staff said the city reports rooms it bills for to the court and attempts to maximize county reimbursement for services tied to rooms while replacing beds that come out of service before June 2027. The staff response noted in part that “las otras camas están en cumplimiento con el acuerdo de resolución” and described reporting and invoicing practices used to demonstrate use and request reimbursements.

Public commenters spoke at length. Adam, identifying himself with Los Angeles Community Action Network, urged the council to oppose what he called inequities in Insight Safe’s distribution and criticized the program’s cost and geographic concentration. “Número 36 finalmente está aquí para un voto y yo creo que es una vergüenza,” Adam said during public comment. Other speakers raised concerns about program transparency, payment delays to service providers and uneven distribution of temporary shelter across council districts.

Councilmembers sought clarity about funding sources and billing. Staff said LASA invoices for the most recent quarter arrived and that a quarter-3 invoice totaled about $8.3 million for services billed through part of the period; staff also said some TLC (Time-Limited Commercial) funds and other program dollars have been used in portions of the work but that not all TLC allocations are presently counted as part of the Alliance-related reimbursements.

The approved modification directs that interim shelter funding and program decisions be aligned with upcoming budget deliberations and asks staff to continue reporting to the council and the court on room counts, invoicing and plans to replace rooms to maintain compliance through June 2027. The council vote was 12 in favor, 1 opposed.

The action follows weeks of public comment and committee debate about Insight Safe, motel agreements and how the city documents and pursues county reimbursement for eligible shelter services. Councilmembers indicated they expect follow-up reports with more granular vacancy, invoice and allocation data before additional long-term commitments are made.

Questions remain about the detailed breakdown of funds and which specific line items in the budget will cover replacements or expansions; staff told the council those choices will be debated in upcoming budget committee work and any supplemental funding requests.