L.A. Officials Says $500 Million Budgeted to Address Homelessness Wasn’t Spent

A top Los Angeles official says 500-million dollars budgeted for programs addressing homelessness wasn’t spent during the 2023-2024 fiscal year. Los Angeles City Controller Kenneth Mejia announced this week that the money sat in city coffers instead of being used to fund homelessness services. Mejia says many city departments remain understaffed, making it difficult to provide some services even when there’s enough funding. Other officials insist much of the money will likely roll over into next year’s budget and will still be available for homelessness programs.