The Los Angeles City Council has finally taken a long-overdue step toward transparency, voting 12-0 on Tuesday to demand a full analysis of the city’s multi-billion-dollar homelessness spending — a move conservatives have long called for amid growing frustration over the lack of progress despite record taxpayer investment.
The motion instructs staff, along with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), to deliver a comprehensive breakdown of homelessness-related expenditures within 60 days and continue reporting quarterly. The directive will encompass programs like Inside Safe, LAHSA contracts, safe parking initiatives, and mobile medical units.
The council also directed city officials to create a public, online database that will track every dollar spent on homelessness — an effort that comes after years of opaque spending practices and mounting criticism from watchdogs and citizens alike. The call for greater oversight follows a federal task force investigation into potential fraud and corruption, now underway under the leadership of new U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli.
Despite throwing $1.28 billion at the problem in fiscal year 2023-24, Los Angeles failed to spend at least $513 million of it, a November report by the City Controller revealed. Bureaucratic red tape, staffing shortages, and outdated systems were blamed — a familiar excuse in a city where bloated spending rarely produces tangible results.
Even Mayor Karen Bass, who has pushed aggressively for more government intervention on homelessness, acknowledged the need for accountability. She voiced support for the audit effort during a press conference in North Hills, noting her upcoming budget proposal for 2025-26 includes another $900 million in homeless spending, $100 million of which is set aside for her signature Inside Safe program.
Though city officials point to data suggesting a 10% drop in unsheltered homelessness and a 17% rise in people entering shelters, many residents remain skeptical. Countless Angelenos have watched their neighborhoods deteriorate, wondering where the billions have gone as tents and encampments remain fixtures of city streets.
The motion, introduced by left-leaning Councilmembers Nithya Raman, Katy Yaroslavsky, and Hugo Soto-Martinez, acknowledges that the city currently lacks a centralized and reliable way to track how homelessness dollars are spent. A recent court-ordered audit by Alvarez & Marsal confirmed the glaring need for financial oversight and real-time monitoring.
The city has also created a new bureau within the Housing Department to track dollars and hold service providers accountable — a small but welcome move toward the kind of responsible governance many in Los Angeles have been demanding for years.
While some city leaders continue to push for ever-growing budgets and government-run programs, this latest vote suggests even progressives are starting to feel the heat from voters who are tired of throwing money at a crisis with so little to show for it.
