Committee probes FY25–26 homeless-services budget as city, LASA and county funding shift

Los Angeles City Council budget committee members spent several hours reviewing the mayor’s proposed FY25–26 budget for homelessness response, pressing city budget analysts and the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LASA) on bed counts, county reimbursements and administrative capacity. The committee heard that the city is counting newly established motel and program beds toward obligations set by the Alliance settlement but that the city will still carry the up‑front costs and faces a shortfall in administrative staffing.

Committee members said the item matters because the city’s approach affects how many people are housed, how quickly beds and services appear, and which city and county dollars will cover ongoing costs. Councilmember Roman, chair of the council’s homelessness committee, framed the discussion: “Tenemos 5 áreas principales de respuesta” — prevention, short‑term shelter including portfolio hotels, permanent housing, subsidized units and hygiene services — and asked how the proposed budget would preserve capacity across those areas.

City budget staff told the committee the homeless‑services budget rests on large general‑fund support plus multiple other revenue lines. The administration said the proposed FY25–26 package includes roughly $300 million in general‑fund support for homelessness programs and relies on a mix of 20–25 additional sources (grants, special funds and anticipated county reimbursements). Staff reported the city is counting about 13,140 beds against the Alliance obligation; of 12,900 beds the city considers in its obligation pool, roughly 11,000 are currently open or in service and about 3,100 fall under the county reimbursement cap cited by staff.

Officials cautioned that counting motel and reserved‑room agreements as Alliance‑eligible reduces the city’s…