House subcommittee summons LA Mayor Bass over homeless-fund allegations

A House subcommittee is calling on Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass to testify in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 15 about alleged waste, fraud, and abuse in the federally funded homelessness system administered through the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. Subcommittee chair Tim Burchett says the panel is concerned about “blatant corruption” in LAHSA contracting and possible misallocation of federal dollars to nonprofits, and it has requested documents and communications involving Bass and LAHSA dating back to 2020. The Trump administration has also scrutinized LAHSA’s performance, including suspending federal HUD funding after an investigation that alleged false statements and poor tracking of outcomes, though a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction allowing operations to continue while the case proceeds. LAHSA disputes the allegations, saying it welcomes audits and has found no evidence of fraud or corruption, while Bass’ allies and Democrats denounce the inquiry as partisan and tied to efforts to cut homelessness funding. The hearing’s focus is whether federal dollars are being used as intended and what safeguards officials have put in place to prevent abuse.