RFK Jr. and HUD secretary rip L.A. homeless agencies and endorse faith-based alternatives

This is read by an automated voice.Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.

See more from the L.A.Times in Google Search.

Set us as preferred As a federal judge weighs whether to block the Trump administration’s suspension of the region’s lead homelessness agency, two members of the president’s cabinet came to in Los Angeles to plead their case.At a press conference Tuesday, U.S.Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F.

Kennedy Jr.excoriated the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority as an agency beset by mismanagement and abuse.“Our aim is that LAHSA does not receive another dollar until it has accountability,” Turner said, framed by American flags and jumbo TV screens blaring the words “Cancel Corruption.” As an example of money wasted by LAHSA’s lack of financial controls, Turner cited the recent federal indictment alleging a homeless services provider fleeced the system of $23 million in fraudulent billings.Kennedy said his agency is rooting out “billions and billions of dollars” of Medicare fraud inherited from the Biden administration.Their appearance fell on the day U.S.

District Court Judge David O.Carter was expected to issue a ruling in a lawsuit filed by LAHSA challenging HUD’s suspension that prevents the agency from filing applications, due August 26, for about $240 million in federal homelessness funds on behalf of service providers across the region.

In a follow-up letter, HUD said that because LAHSA was suspended, those providers would have to apply directly to HUD.LAHSA’s lawsuit alleges that the suspension was a pretext for HUD’s plan to overhaul homeless policy.The administration wants to spend more on recovery-based transitional housing and less on programs known as housing first, which provide permanent subsidized housing with no pre-conditions or requirement to receive treatment.A federal court in Rhode Island has blocked...