Committee approves homelessness emergency account reports, interim housing rates and adopts Good Neighbor pledge with amendments

Los Angeles City Council’s Housing & Homelessness Committee approved multiple homelessness-related administrative reports and motions on April 23, adopting an amended technical change to one CAO report and passing a regional Good Neighbor pledge while holding a proposal on opioid remediation for further work.

The committee approved two CAO homeless emergency account (HEA) reports (council files 24th and 25th HEA status reports) with a technical amendment to recommendation 2 of the second HEA; the amendment instructs Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD) to amend agreement CDash145331 with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) to increase that contract amount by up to $2,083,334 to fund operations at the Mayfair Hotel through June 30, 2025, and to extend the contract term by 12 months through April 30, 2026, subject to City Attorney approval. CAO staff said the reports also add an administrative budget line so LAHSA can bill a 10% administrative fee for the InsightSafe program.

The committee approved an adjustment to interim housing bed rates for family sites, using the single-adult rates adopted in December 2024 as a baseline and factoring a 2.5 dependent ratio to set family rates for FY 2025–26. CAO staff estimated the family portfolio cost will rise from about $2.7 million in the current fiscal year to $3.3 million in FY 2025–26 (an increase of roughly $550,000); single-adult portfolio costs with newly approved rates were cited at $186 million for FY 2025–26.

On consent, the committee approved items 4, 5, 7 and 8, including authorization for a five‑year contract with the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles for eviction defense, homelessness prevention, and tenant outreach funded by Measure ULA revenue. A public commenter urged more rental‑assistance funding and questioned a sole‑source approach and the allocation of $33.7 million mentioned in public remarks; the committee took the contract on consent and proceeded without further change at the committee level.

The committee adopted a regional Good Neighbor pledge with two amendments added in committee: language clarifying that the pledge neither condemns nor extols a city’s ability to regulate public spaces, and an added set of recommendations urging the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to increase alignment, accelerate implementation of the Alliance MOU, provide access to county treatment and intensive-care services, and allocate Measure A funds to support interim housing within the city. The pledge as amended passed in committee.

Item 6, a Chief Legislative Analyst (CLA) report proposing an opioid remediation program using opioid settlement funds, was held on the desk for further work. CLA staff and committee members discussed a $3,000,000 set aside, a proposed design that reserves $2.7 million for a MacArthur Park–Westlake health hub and uses $300,000 contracts in each of four regions (totaling $1.2 million) for smaller harm‑reduction contracts; members asked staff to return with fuller analysis of eligible uses, options to align the funds with existing street medicine and LAHD‑administered programs, and coordination with the county and Crocker Campus agreements.

Votes at a glance

- Items 4, 5, 7 and 8 (consent): approved on roll call (Council member Grama — yes; Council member Gerardo — yes; Council member Blumenfield — aye). Outcome: approved on consent. - Items 1 & 2 (HEA reports): approved with technical amendment to item 2 (amend recommendation 2 to increase CDash145331 by up to $2,083,334 and extend term through 04/30/2026). Outcome: approved as amended (roll call: Grama — yes; Gerardo — yes; Blumenfield — aye). - Item 3 (interim housing family bed‑rate adjustment): approved (roll call: Grama — yes; Gerardo — yes; Blumenfield — aye). - Item 6 (opioid remediation program): held on the desk for further staff follow‑up and coordination. - Item 9 (section 8 voucher motion): continued to a later date to obtain HACLA input. - Item 10 (Good Neighbor pledge): approved as amended (roll call: Grama — yes; Gerardo — yes; Blumenfield — aye).

Why it matters: The HEA approvals and rate changes move short‑term funding and operations decisions forward for interim housing and InsightSafe program administration, while the action on the Good Neighbor pledge signals a regional stance on non‑displacement and seeks county commitments. The opioid remediation item remains open and will return with requested analyses before committee action.

What’s next: CLA and CAO staff will return with additional financial breakdowns, including LAHSA administrative totals and a memo on cash advances from LAHD; CLA will also provide a more detailed analysis of eligible opioid settlement uses and coordination options with LAHD/other city programs and the county.