Los Angeles County has assumed responsibility for conducting the annual homeless count and submitting federal grant applications on behalf of regional homeless service providers, marking a shift in control away from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA). The transition was approved in early October by the Los Angeles Continuum of Care (CoC), an umbrella body of agencies addressing homelessness in the county. However, the governance of two other key homeless programs—the database that tracks interactions with homeless individuals and the system that matches them to housing—remains unresolved amid ongoing disagreement between the county and the City of Los Angeles.

The dispute follows the suspension of LAHSA’s federal mandates in June, triggered by reports of mismanagement and allegations of possible fraud within the agency. In response, the county Board of Supervisors moved last year to take control of more than $300 million in local sales tax funding that had been managed by LAHSA, establishing the Department of Homeless Services and Housing to oversee homelessness initiatives. The county then sought to consolidate federal functions related to homelessness management.

At the CoC meeting on October 9, the vote to transfer the duties of the annual homeless count and the federal grant application to the county passed with 310 votes in favor, nine opposed, and 12 abstentions. The meeting had initially been interrupted due to a surge of more than 1,500 requests to participate on Zoom, exceeding the 1,000-person limit. After expanding capacity to 10,000, only about 300 members registered to vote. CoC Chair Ben Kay noted that representatives affiliated with the county were required to recuse themselves from voting to maintain impartiality.

Despite the county’s gains, control over the database that records contacts with homeless individuals and the system used to match people to housing remains under the city’s administration. The city had submitted competing bids for these functions, leading to a stalemate with the county. No new timeline has been announced for resolving this part of the dispute.

City officials, including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, actively opposed transferring further responsibilities to the county, mobilizing public engagement ahead of the vote. Some city council members have indicated a willingness to pursue legal action should negotiations fail to settle control over the remaining programs.

The ongoing disagreement reflects deeper tensions between the city and county governments over the management and coordination of homelessness services in the Los Angeles region. Both entities assert their capability to lead efforts aimed at addressing the complex issue, but divisions continue to complicate the administration of programs aimed at assisting the region’s homeless population.