HUD WANTS $30 MILLION BACK BECAUSE LA FAILED TO HOUSE ITS HOMELESS

Last year, HUD demanded the return of $80 million from LA due to its discriminating against people with disabilities, describing LA's housing program as a "widespread failure."

As Supervisor, Desiree Washington will work to ensure everyone in her district lives in affordable, safe housing, regardless of age, job description or income level by:

• Educating residents about existing housing, mental health and physical rehabilitation services;
• Educating residents about existing job training programs and trade apprenticeships;
• Encouraging more job creation in less dense areas of the county to better support any movement of working class homeless peoples to those areas.

Desiree believes current leadership has dropped the ball for 4 years, and is only now, in an election season, superficially acting to fix chronic issues. Homelessness jumped 12 percent across Los Angeles County despite new taxes and $600M in spending. LA County’s 47-point homeless plan has only housed 21,631 out of over 59,000 homeless, 150,000 statewide and growing.  HUD wants $30 million returned because LA County failed to house people, according to Supervisor Solis in the February 4,2020 Board Meeting. See Board Meeting Transcript here. Only now, in reaction to HUD's demand for a refund and in the face of political challenge, have Supervisors begun to ask hard questions of CEO Sachi Hamai about where the money went and why few homeless have benefited from this spending. Our families, friends and neighbors, 60% women, are being raped, OD-ing, and dying in the streets. Our tax dollars are being wasted. Our leaders must exhibit great leadership skills and provide the change that our community desperately needs.

FROM THE FEBRUARY 4, 2020 BOARD MEETING, TRANSCRIPT PAGE 122, LINES 1-19:

1 SPEAKER: I DON'T HAVE THAT ANSWER, BUT WE CAN PROVIDE AN

2 UPDATE FOR YOU FOR THAT.

3

4 SUP. HAHN: I'M STILL CONFUSED IF SOMEBODY ACCESSED THIS MAP,

5 WHETHER OR NOT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO TELL, EVEN ON THE

6 HOUSING. IT SEEMS LIKE IT IS A SYSTEM THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH.

7 THEY CANNOT JUST LOOK AT THE MAP.

8

9 SUP. BARGER, CHAIR: SUPERVISOR SOLIS?

10

11 SUP. SOLIS: YES, WELL, I THINK ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT I HAVE

12 IS THAT I RECENTLY READ THERE IS MONEY THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE

13 RETURNING TO H.U.D. $30 MILLION AND THAT'S A REFLECTION OF OUR

14 INABILITY TO UTILIZE SOME BEDS, AND A GOOD NUMBER ARE IN THE

15 CITY OF L.A. IN MY DISTRICT. AND THAT REALLY CONCERNS ME. AND

16 I UNDERSTAND THAT NOT EVERYONE FROM MY DISTRICT WILL COME

17 DOWNTOWN. THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS VERY REAL. WHAT ARE WE

18 DOING TO RECTIFY THIS SO WE DON'T LOOK AS THOUGH WE ARE NOT

19 BEING RESPONSIBLE?"

Remember, last year, HUD demanded the return of $80 million from LA due to discriminating against people with disabilities, describing LA's housing program as a "widespread failure."

IF YOU'VE HAD ENOUGH OF CAREER POLITICIANS, THEIR PET PROJECTS AND THE OVERALL DEGRADATION OF LA COUNTY

Vote for Desiree T. Washington for LA County Supervisor on Tuesday, March 3, 2020.