April 27, 2025 Your Source for Brentwood News

Judge to L.A. Leaders: ‘I Am Your Worst Nightmare’ in Scathing Homeless Spending Rebuke

Carter Warns of Court Intervention if City and County Fail to Fix Broken Systems

U.S. District Judge David O. Carter, famous for his rulings against the West Los Angeles VA and UCLA in favor of veterans, on Thursday sharply criticized Los Angeles city and county officials over long-standing failures to properly track and manage billions of dollars in homeless services funding. He called the system broken and urged immediate reforms to ensure accountability.

The judge, who was out of patience, said, “We pay your bills. Figure this out.” to a group that included Mayor Karen Bass, City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, L.A. County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger and City Controller Kenneth Mejia. Carter added, “I am your worst nightmare. I can make your lives miserable.”

The rebuke came during a hearing convened by Judge Carter following the release of a scathing independent audit that found the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) lacked adequate data systems and financial oversight despite handling more than $2.5 billion in public funds aimed at addressing the region’s homelessness crisis.

“Nobody is asking our providers what they did or what services they performed,” Carter said. “We may have providers who committed fraud, and we may never know. We may also have providers who did excellent work, and we’ll never know that either.”

Judge Carter questioned why city officials had not pursued legal action against underperforming or potentially fraudulent service providers. “If we’re so short on money, why aren’t these providers being sued? Are they waiting for us to get senile or die?” he asked.

While the judge stopped short of imposing a court-appointed receiver to oversee the city’s homeless response — citing the city’s fragile financial condition — he strongly criticized the lack of transparency and oversight, particularly at LAHSA, which has been the subject of multiple audits since 2007 highlighting similar failings.

“This is a slow train wreck,” Carter said, noting that the situation has persisted across multiple administrations and oversight efforts.

Mayor Karen Bass, L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, and representatives from LAHSA attended the hearing and raised concerns about the audit’s methodology and said it failed to offer clear recommendations for resolving the issues.

“I felt there was a lack of understanding of how they came to some of the conclusions,” said Barger, chair of the L.A. County Board of Supervisors.

Mayor Bass echoed the need for systemic change, emphasizing that addressing homelessness goes beyond housing alone.

“Of course, people need to be housed, but that’s not enough,” Bass said. “There needs to be comprehensive services, and those services need to be based on outcomes — how well did that person do?”

Bass, however, rejected Carter’s suggestion that she allow L.A. City Controller Kenneth Mejia to conduct a performance audit of her signature Inside Safe homelessness initiative. City attorneys argued that the city charter requires the mayor’s consent for such an audit — a position disputed by Mejia and the co-author of the charter language.

Attorney Matthew Umhofer, representing the LA Alliance for Human Rights — the group that initiated the legal case against the city and county — urged the court to consider appointing a receiver with budgetary control, comparing the current crisis to the one that led to federal oversight of California’s prison healthcare system.

“The judge’s patience has worn thin. Our patience has worn thin,” Umhofer said. “If the city and county aren’t going to act, the court must.”

Despite resistance from city leadership, Carter ordered Bass to coordinate directly with the controller to find a way forward on oversight. Whether that audit will proceed remains uncertain.

Carter concluded the hearing by underscoring the urgency of the moment. “Folks, you’ve got to solve this — or else the court is going to step in.”

in News
Related Posts

West Hollywood Braces for Controversial Rally, Reaffirms Commitment to Equality

April 25, 2025

April 25, 2025

City of West Hollywood Condemns Harmful Rhetoric Ahead of Planned Assembly City officials and public safety leaders in West Hollywood are preparing...

(Video) The Willows: 30 Years Going Strong

April 25, 2025

April 25, 2025

Founded in 1994, The Willows Community School, located in Culver City, California, is a Developmental Kindergarten through 8th grade non-profit, co-educational...

ASTEME Camps Explore Science, Technology, Math and Engineering

April 25, 2025

April 25, 2025

Many teachers and parents hear this question daily when it comes to schooling: “When am I ever going to use...

Skirball Center’s Puppet Festival Promises an Afternoon of Imagination and Play

April 24, 2025

April 24, 2025

SoCal’s Top Puppeteers Will Perform Alongside Live Music, DIY Puppet-Making The Skirball Cultural Center is set to transform into a...

Q&A: No Age Limit on Home Care Management & Home Safety, Tips from a Care Manager

April 24, 2025

April 24, 2025

In-home safety issues that go unnoticed — cracked sidewalks, broken railings or uneven flooring for example — are often the root...

Brentwood Farmers Market Responds to Traffic Complaints with New Safety Steps

April 24, 2025

April 24, 2025

Farmers Market Takes Action to Support New Palisades Vendors In response to growing concerns over Sunday traffic congestion caused by...

Culver City Police Hosts DEA Drug Take Back Day on April 26

April 24, 2025

April 24, 2025

Dispose of Expired Prescriptions Safely and Anonymously The Culver City Police Department will participate in National Prescription Drug Take Back...

Former Cedars-Sinai OB-GYN Accused of Sexually Abusing Patients for Four Decades

April 24, 2025

April 24, 2025

Ten Women Say Their Reports Were Ignored as Brock Continued to Practice for Decades. A group of 10 women has...

LAX/Metro Station is One Step Closer to Transforming the Airport Commute

April 24, 2025

April 24, 2025

New Multi-Modal Metro Station Connects Angelenos to the Airport Metro Board Chair and Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn announced...

FBI Unravels Alleged Plot to Sell Stolen Andy Warhol Print in Beverly Hills

April 24, 2025

April 24, 2025

Mid-City Pawn Shop Owner Charged in High-Stakes Art Scheme The owner of a pawn shop in Los Angeles’ Mid-City neighborhood...

The Brian Jonestown Massacre Drops New Double A-Side Ahead of U.S. Tour

April 24, 2025

April 24, 2025

Legendary Psych-Rockers Set April 25 Release and Fall North American Tour The Brian Jonestown Massacre is set to release a...

(Video) Matú Kai Brentwood: The full experience

April 23, 2025

April 23, 2025

Sister restaurant to Matú in Beverly Hills, located at 11777 San Vicente Blvd. Sister restaurant to Matú in Beverly Hills,...

Uncle Stevey’s Bagels Wins Westside Hearts with Next-Level Bagels, Premium Sandwiches, and Local Coffee

April 23, 2025

April 23, 2025

Family-Run Shop Serves Delicious and Thoughtfully Curated Bagels With Love By Dolores Quintana A little more than a year since...

Santa Monica’s Socalo Toasts Pali Wine Co. with a Five-Course Culinary Celebration

April 23, 2025

April 23, 2025

Enjoy Celebrated Central Coast Wines, Including a 100-Point Red Blend Socalo, the acclaimed Mexican restaurant from celebrity chefs Mary Sue...

Go Go Bird Teams Up with Chef Chris Oh for Korean-Inspired Fried Chicken Sandwich

April 23, 2025

April 23, 2025

Crispy, Saucy, Spicy: Chris Oh’s Fried Chicken Sandwich Lands in Culver City Go Go Bird, located in Culver City’s Citizen...