Trump Officials Threaten $240 Million for LAHSA as They Push Faith-Based Homeless Programs
Updated
Updated · Los Angeles Times · Aug 11
Trump Officials Threaten $240 Million for LAHSA as They Push Faith-Based Homeless Programs
3 articles · Updated · Los Angeles Times · Aug 11
Summary
HUD Secretary Scott Turner and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. used a Los Angeles visit to demand that LAHSA receive no more federal money until it shows accountability, accusing the agency of mismanagement and corruption.
The pressure campaign centers on about $240 million in homeless grants due Aug. 26: HUD’s suspension bars LAHSA from applying on behalf of regional providers and forces those groups to seek funds directly.
Turner tied the crackdown to a broader policy shift, attacking the housing-first model with a bag he said contained taxpayer-funded drug paraphernalia and arguing federal dollars should reward results rather than bed counts.
At the faith-based LA Dream Center, both officials promoted recovery-focused transitional housing and religious service providers as the administration’s preferred alternative to permanent subsidized housing without treatment requirements.
The dispute now sits in federal court, where LAHSA says the suspension is a pretext for remaking national homeless policy; a Rhode Island judge has already blocked parts of HUD’s funding overhaul.