An audit released this week by Los Angeles City Controller Kenneth Mejia found over $200 million in taxpayer dollars went to waste on anti-homelessness initiatives.
On Tuesday, Mejia released the Pathways to Permanent Housing Homelessness Audit, which examined city initiatives to help move homeless residents to permanent housing from 2019 to 2023. That report noted, however, “a woefully inadequate number of people” staying in interim facilities moved on to permanent housing.
One in four interim beds went unused, according to the report, costing taxpayers roughly $218 million over five years. While the programs aim to have a 95% occupancy rate, they did not exceed 78% in any year. The lowest occupancy rate was 64% in 2021.
“For beds that were occupied, less than 20% of people were successfully housed and more than half returned to homelessness/unknown destinations,” the report reads. “In addition, there are concerns about long-term stability for many people who were placed into permanent housing.”
Mejia called on Los Angeles officials to do better for the homeless population.
