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Council committee approves report back on whether city can contract directly with service providers, bypassing LAHSA
Summary
The committee approved a motion directing city staff to study the feasibility, risks and benefits of the City of Los Angeles directly contracting for homelessness services currently administered by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA). The vote was 3–0 with two absences.
The committee approved a motion asking the Chief Legislative Analyst, with assistance from the City Administrative Officer and the Los Angeles Housing Department, to report back on whether the City of Los Angeles can directly contract with service providers for homelessness programs and bypass the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.
Council Member Grama framed the motion as a response to repeated complaints about contracting delays and a forthcoming audit of LAHSA’s contracting practices. John Wickham of the CLA said staff from CLA, CAO and LAHD are already using existing staff to analyze contracting and that they are engaging with LAHSA as part of the research.
Council Member Blumenfield said the item should be treated with urgency to create a “backup plan” and to reduce contract duplication and administrative delays. He described instances where city discretionary dollars could not be used as intended because LAHSA-controlled contracting rules limited the city’s ability to refer clients into a program.
The committee called for a report that assesses capacity, legal and operational risks, potential losses from removing LAHSA as an intermediary, and what would be required for the city to manage contracts directly. The motion passed on a roll call with three ayes and two absences.
Ending: the CLA will prepare a report with analysis and options; the committee approved the request to ensure the city has alternatives if county or regional arrangements change.
