LOS ANGELES — Nearly $150 million worth of federal grants to the three main housing agencies working to reduce homelessness in Greater Los Angeles went unspent between 2015 and 2020, as the number of unhoused people soared.
Instead of being used to address L.A.'s acute homelessness crisis, the money was returned to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, according to data provided to the Los Angeles Times by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. More than 85% of the returned funds were earmarked fr sorely needed permanent supportive housing.
LAHSA returned more than $29 million to HUD during the six-year period; the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles returned more than $82 million; and the Los Angeles County Development Authority returned nearly $38 million.
