The Los Angeles City Council Voted on the Confirmation on October 10
By Dolores Quintana
Mayor Karen Bass has appointed herself to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) Commission, and the appointment was confirmed by a unanimous vote by the Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday, October 10. Mayor Bass’s appointment is for a three-year term on the LAHSA Commission until June 30, 2026.
Reflecting on the urgency of the issue, Mayor Bass stated in a letter to the City Council, “The City and County, together, declared a state of emergency. The City and County, together, are implementing strategies to bring unhoused Angelenos inside from encampments. Now, together, we will continue to directly address this issue with locked arms.”
LAHSA, governed by a 10-member Commission, features five members appointed by the LA City Council and five members appointed by the LA County Board of Supervisors. The Commission possesses the authority to shape budgetary allocations, funding strategies, planning, and program policies.
Mayor Bass has collaborated closely with LAHSA CEO Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kellum. Dr. Adams Kellum, previously associated with St. Joseph Center, devoted an entire month to developing the Inside Safe program before her tenure at LAHSA. Welcoming Mayor Bass to the LAHSA Commission, Dr. Adams Kellum affirmed, “We’ve talked a great deal about locking arms and addressing the homelessness crisis in Los Angeles, and Mayor Bass is taking action to show she’s serious about it. I am proud to welcome Mayor Bass to the LAHSA Commission, and I’m excited to work even closer together to solve homelessness in Los Angeles.”
Mayor Bass initiated the state of emergency due to homelessness upon taking office in December 2022. Shortly after, in January, the LA County Board of Supervisors declared its state of emergency.
Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath, a co-author of the motion making this declaration, appointed herself to the LAHSA Commission immediately upon assuming office in December 2022. In July, Supervisor Horvath was selected to chair the Commission. Supervisor Horvath expressed, “Our regional partnership grows stronger today as Mayor Bass joins the LAHSA Commission. We are stepping up and transforming LAHSA for the better, and we are united for that change.
