House Oversight Subcommittee Demands Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass Testify on Federal Homelessness Grants

WASHINGTON — A congressional oversight battle between Capitol Hill lawmakers and the nation’s second-largest city intensified after a House subcommittee issued a formal request seeking testimony from Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass concerning the management and performance of hundreds of millions of dollars in federal homelessness assistance grants.

In a letter addressed to Mayor Bass, U.S. Representative Tim Burchett, who chairs the House Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency, requested the mayor’s appearance at a September 15 hearing focused on financial accountability within federally subsidized municipal housing programs. The inquiry targets administrative contracts and service delivery overseen by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), a joint city-county agency that coordinates regional homeless housing programs.

Congressional investigators cited concerns over internal audit findings, contracting transparency, and delays in transitioning unhoused individuals from costly temporary motels into permanent supportive housing. The congressional review follows attempts earlier this year by federal housing officials to freeze certain discretionary federal funding streams allocated to LAHSA—an administrative enforcement action subsequently halted by a federal judge who issued a preliminary injunction preserving funding pending judicial review.

"American taxpayers have invested billions of federal dollars into local homelessness programs, and they have every right to expect measurable results, strict financial transparency, and zero tolerance for administrative waste or mismanagement," Representative Tim Burchett stated in Washington. "Congress has a constitutional responsibility to conduct rigorous oversight over how federal resources are disbursed, and our committee looks forward to hearing directly from city leadership regarding how these critical public funds are being deployed on the ground."

Legal counsel representing Mayor Bass responded to the committee, indicating that the mayor is unavailable to attend the scheduled September 15 hearing due to longstanding official city governance commitments. In defending the city's approach, mayoral spokespersons emphasized that Los Angeles has enacted aggressive, targeted reforms since Bass took office in late 2022, notably reducing unsheltered street homelessness by 11 percent through the signature Inside Safe initiative.

City officials argued that congressional inquiries should recognize the city's active work to reform LAHSA, audit non-profit provider contracts, and replace bureaucratic Housing First gridlock with rapid interim shelter solutions.

"Mayor Karen Bass declared an unprecedented local state of emergency on homelessness on her first day in office and has worked tirelessly to bring thousands of unhoused Angelenos indoors while clearing sprawling street encampments," a mayoral spokesperson said in Los Angeles. "The city is executing rigorous internal reviews, holding contractors accountable, and successfully demonstrating that sustained, coordinated local leadership delivers real results. Partisan political attacks from Washington do not solve homelessness in our neighborhoods."

Committee leadership indicated that lawmakers may explore formal deposition requests or subpoena authorizations should municipal executives decline voluntary committee appearances.