Congress has summoned Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass to testify over more than $1 billion in allegedly misused federal homelessness funds.
The House Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency, led by Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN), has formally called Bass to appear at a public hearing on September 15, 2026. The hearing, titled “Fixing Fraud and Failure in Federally Funded Homelessness Services,” is scheduled for 11 a.m. in Room 2154 of the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, D.C.
At the center of the investigation is the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, known as LAHSA. The subcommittee is examining how the agency distributed federal grant money to nonprofit organizations across Los Angeles and the surrounding region. Burchett told Bass directly that local officials had failed to protect taxpayer dollars, and that many nonprofits receiving those funds appear to have spent the money outside its intended purpose.
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As originally reported, LAHSA received more than $1 billion in federal funding over the past five years, including $220 million in 2024 alone. The subcommittee is part of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, a panel with broad authority to investigate any matter at any time.
Investigators are requesting documents from Bass’ office covering January 1, 2020 through the present. Those records must be delivered by September 14, the day before the hearing begins. The requested materials include LAHSA’s internal financial controls, all records related to the use of federal homelessness funds, and communications between Bass’ office, LAHSA, the Los Angeles City Council, and the L.A. County Board of Supervisors.
The probe also draws on findings from a Department of Housing and Urban Development inspector general investigation into LAHSA’s financial practices. That inquiry uncovered allegations of repeated false statements, along with failures in financial management, internal controls, and conflict-of-interest safeguards.
In June 2026, HUD took direct action, freezing further federal funding to LAHSA until agency officials could demonstrate that adequate protections for taxpayer money were in place.
The scrutiny arrives against a stark backdrop. California has roughly 182,000 homeless residents statewide. Los Angeles County alone accounts for approximately 73,000 of them, with more than 45,000 living within the city limits. That figure represents a 3.4% increase since 2025.
LAHSA’s governing board is split between city and county appointees. Bass and the L.A. City Council appoint half the board’s members. The county Board of Supervisors appoints the other half, giving both levels of government direct influence over how the agency operates and where its money goes.
The September 15 hearing will put Bass in front of congressional investigators at a moment when the city’s handling of one of its most visible and costly crises is under federal scrutiny.
