Karen Bass is just too busy to answer for her record on homelessness

It’s like the would-be date who declines, citing a need to wash her hair.Karen Bass has told a powerful congressional panel that she can’t testify next week about homelessness failures in her city, because, well, she’s busy.The mayor spurned a request to appear Sept.15 before the House subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency; the hearing is due to probe $1 billion in alleged waste, fraud and abuse at the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.In effect, Bass told the panel: Nah; it wasn’t me.This is what running from accountability looks like. Bass is well aware that LAHSA, Los Angeles’ central homeless agency, is an epic failure.LA County all but shunned the organization in 2025, and the federal government is investigating LAHSA for alleged financial mismanagement. The agency, tasked with serving Angelenos who live in tent squalor, has headquarters in a luxe office tower that caters to LA’s super-rich –– a building with perks like a helipad and Maybach car service.And this is a crew that gets 73% of its funding from city taxpayers –– even after Bass & Co.

vowed yet failed to study alternatives. Why does the city led by Bass keep pouring taxpayers’ money, by the hundreds of millions, into apparent fraud and failure? Clearly, she’d rather not say.A letter from Bass’ attorneys to the DOGE subcommittee read in part:“LAHSA has its own executive leadership team and staff who are responsible for day-to-day operations, budget and administration.The Mayor does not control LAHSA’s operation, budget, or administration.”Control it, perhaps not.But oversight? That’s under Bass’ remit.

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